The child incident and Kakashi's discovery
by Tiro
Summary: Last chapter up! Two Akatsuki comes to Konoha what is their purpose? Good or bad? What will happen during that dreadful day? Will something good come out from it in the end? Many questions find the answers inside! Slash.
1. Chapter 1

**The****child incident and Kakashi's discovery**

**Pairing:** KakaIru

**Summary: **After a mistake, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke turn into children! Kakashi is assigned to look after them, but discovers two things; Naruto has been living a lie to hide his true self, and that Iruka is a real hottie! And their concern for the blonde is the same…

**Disclaimers: **I don't own Naruto nor do I make any money writing this.

-o-

Updated 2013-06-24

-o-

**Chapter One**

It should have been a normal day for Kakashi and his team. They got a boring, simple D-mission. Sasuke made a 'Hn'-noise, per usual, and Sakura complained. Loudly. Per usual, again. Normally Naruto would join her, even louder, but it was the first difference of the day. He didn't join her. Kakashi had been slightly worried about that, but brushed it aside. Naruto was probably just tired. Everyone was entitled to be a little grumpy when they were tired.

Of course, then everything else just went wrong. They had done the mission, without problems naturally because they weren't little kids anymore, they had been a team for a while and Kakashi knew they knew how to work together.

So he had given them the day off once they turned in the report to the Hokage. He knew they could do it on their own. So he had just been walking down the road, wondering what to do with the rest of his day, when his peace was shattered by a howling of his name.

Honestly, he didn't know Shizune could be that loud. Nor that she could drag him to the Hokage Tower. Yes. Drag him. He didn't have a choice in the matter. Asuma, with his team, stared at him. Kakashi just waved and let Shizune take him to the Hokage's office. Wondering what he had done wrong, he was set on his feet and looked straight into Tsunade's eyes.

"Hokage-sama?" he said. Why was she outside?

"Thank you for bringing Kakashi here," Tsunade told Shizune.

"Um, what's going on?" he wondered. "Did something happen to my team?"

Tsunade snorted. "That, Kakashi… is an understatement."

She opened the door and Kakashi poked his head inside. His first thought was:

'_Wait… What. The. Hell?'_

He had expected his team. Sasuke looking high and mighty (Kakashi didn't know if Sasuke could look any other way), Sakura fuming or fawning (it was either way, never in the middle) and Naruto sheepishly smiling. But he didn't see that.

What he saw was three children, all around four or five years old. Two boys, and a girl. All looking scarily like his team, only like little. The raven-haired boy sat on the desk, happily shredding papers (Kakashi dearly hoped it wasn't any important documents there), and god forbid, _giggled_. The pink-haired girl ran around the room, screaming happily and being just a bouncing ball of energy normal for a kid in her age (until she got tired, which Kakashi kind of hope she would get; the screaming got grating). And the last one, the blond one, sat on the couch, deathly quiet and staring at the wall opposite of him like it was the most interesting wall in the world (it wasn't.)

"Alright!" Tsunade screamed. "Everyone shut up, and you pinky, stop moving!"

They all stopped. Well, raven and pinky stopped, staring at Tsunade. The pink-haired girl's lip quivered. The blond sat up straight and looked at Tsunade in pure confusion. It was only then Kakashi noticed the clothes on the floor, and that the kids wore only T-shirts that were very large on them.

Kakashi turned to Tsunade, tried to speak and failed. He settled for pointing at the kids. She nodded and said:

"Yup, your students. Cute, ain't they?"

Kakashi wobbled into the room and fell down on the couch where child Naruto was sitting. Naruto moved a little to look at him when Tsunade came closer, crouched down in front of the blond and said:

"Hi there, Naruto-kun."

He narrowed his eyes at her as Sasuke continued shredding papers (Kakashi really hoped it wasn't anything important) and Shizune picked up the chattering Sakura.

Tsunade picked Naruto up carefully. The boy didn't smile. He just looked up at her, seemed to decide something and slumped into her embrace, sighing. Kakashi frowned, as did Tsunade, but then Kakashi gathered his thoughts and managed to say:

"What the hell happened to them?"

"They drank a potion I'd made," Tsunade said. "I've been trying to invent a potion that would make elder people feel younger, but I got the feeling I kind of failed."

"And by trying to invent, you mean…?"

"There's no antidote," Tsunade confirmed. "You're going to take care of them until I make one."

"Eh? Sasuke and Naruto I can understand, but Sakura still has her parents."

"They're not in Konoha at the moment."

Kakashi nodded, faintly. He wasn't inept at taking care of children, and there was always Iruka. Mother-hen Iruka. Honestly, people could talk about their mother's crazy over-protectiveness and he would still think Iruka was worse. All those dinners Iruka had invited him to, which usually involved Naruto too, had taught him a few things about kids, and lot about Iruka's temper. Kakashi would not get in that man's way when he was angry.

He got up from the couch and collected Sasuke and Sakura, their clothes already in a bag Shizune strapped over shoulder with a polite smile. Tsunade put Naruto on Kakashi's shoulder while Sakura and Sasuke had to live with being carried under his arms.

Sasuke was squirming. Sakura tried to escape by beating her tiny fists against Kakashi's grip (it didn't hurt, nor was it particularly annoying). Naruto had grabbed a handful of the grey hair to keep himself balanced, and Kakashi glanced up.

"You alright up there, Naru-kun?" He heard Tsunade chuckle at the nickname, and smiled himself under the mask.

"Yes. One thing though." Naruto still wasn't smiling.

"And what's that?" the copy-nin replied.

"Who are you?"

"Ah, I'm sorry. My name is Hatake Kakashi and I'm going to take care of you three for a couple of days. Okay?"

"Does that make you papa?" Sakura demanded to know.

"No, that doesn't make me papa," Kakashi sighed.

"Kachi?" Sasuke suggested innocently and Kakashi glared down at the boy.

"Nooo, not Kachi either."

"Kachi papa?" Sakura suggested.

Kakashi's shoulders slumped as he sighed.

"Kachi papa!" Sasuke agreed.

Great. They decided to give him a nickname.

"Kakashi-san?" Naruto said. "Is that good? Kakashi-san?"

"Kachi sounds better!" Sakura argued, waving her legs around.

"Kakashi-san," Naruto decided.

"Thank you very much, Naru-kun," Kakashi said, and for the first time since he was turned into a child, Naruto smiled. It wasn't a big one, but it was soft and it practically melted Kakashi's heart at the spot. His team shouldn't be allowed to be that cute.

"So, good luck," Tsunade told him, looking over at the three kids. "I'll keep in touch."

Kakashi, with his hands full and a kid perched on his shoulders, nodded and disappeared in a whirl of leaves.

Sakura had yelped, Sasuke stiffened but it was Naruto who seemed to have enjoyed the transportation. Kakashi got his shoes off as he had transported himself directly to his apartment, and then he let the kids down. He remained crouched down so he was their level.

"Why is your forehead protector over your eye?" Sakura wanted to know.

"Because Kakashi-san likes it," Kakashi replied.

"You're weird," Sasuke concluded.

"So are you, Sasuke-kun. Now, I'm going to see if I got any better clothes for you, so stay on the couch and be nice, okay?"

He didn't look behind him until he was in his bedroom, and only then did he noticed Naruto had followed him. He hadn't even noticed the blond's chakra.

"Naru-kun?"

Naruto tilted his head to the side, making himself look adorable. Kakashi squished that thought, shook his head and went to get out a box of clothes he had as a child. He turned it upside-down and shook it, making the clothes tumble to the floor. He seated himself on the floor and patted the spot next to him. Naruto sat down as well.

"Not the best I can offer until I get to buy something new for you guys, but help yourself. I'm sorry I don't have much colour." Kakashi prayed that Naruto wouldn't get into a fit about not having orange.

"It's okay," Naruto said. "I don't like colours." He picked up a black T-shirt and missed Kakashi's look.

'_What the hell has happened? Orange is a colour. It's a very powerful, bright colour. Why doesn't he like colours as a kid? What kid his age doesn't?' _Kakashi realized he hadn't, and shook his head again.

"You do that a lot."

"Yes, Kakashi-san shakes thoughts away."

Naruto looked strangely at him. "That's weird."

"Yes, true. Now, shall we call for Sakura and Sasuke?"

Naruto nodded, and they were soon joined by the other two. However, they were not as easy to please as Naruto, and soon Kakashi wanted to hit his head on something. Sakura wanted _pink_ and Sasuke blue. Sakura had the nerve to ask why he didn't own anything pink. Pink! It would just as fast out on a mission to hold up a sign saying "Here I am, just come and kill me!"

She could get pink later, for now she had to make due with what he had. Naruto picked out a white T-shirt and some black shorts, and he was shown to the bathroom. Once he was done, Sakura went inside with a similar outfit, just grey shorts. Naruto inspected the slightly baggy clothes and then said to Kakashi:

"I'm hungry."

"Right." Course they would be. So was he. "I'll make some food once you're all dressed. Sasuke, what would you like to have?"

"Rice."

"Just rice? How about some rice balls?

Sasuke nodded slowly, and Sakura came out dressed in her new outfit.

"Sakura, what would you like to dinner?"

"Spaghetti!"

If Naruto was calm, Sakura was making up for all that bubbly energy lost. Kakashi just nodded and turned to Naruto.

"And you, Naruto?"

Naruto pointed at the fruits Kakashi had on his table. Kakashi looked over, then at Naruto, then back at the fruits. It was starting freaking him out how much Naruto was surprising him now.

"Fruit isn't food, Naru-kun." He just couldn't let go of that nickname even if Naruto was respectful and called him 'Kakashi-san'.

"Fruit?"

"… You don't know what fruit is?"

Naruto gave him a sour look that said 'Am I supposed to know that or what?'

"Ah, well… oh, you can have fruit later. Now, some kind of food."

"Dumplings," was Naruto's final answer. Kakashi wondered if the child had injured his head or something, or if the ramen obsession came later.

"Okay," he replied nonetheless. "As you're all re-dressed, I'll start with the food."

He settled them in front of his TV, which he honestly rarely had on but noticed as he got into the kitchen that Naruto had yet again followed him. If he was this stealthy at the age of five, why the hell hadn't he been that at age twelve?

"You don't want to watch some TV?"

Naruto shook his head. "Don't like it. Can I watch you cook?"

"Ah, yes. You can help too, if you like."

He tried not to show he felt something was wrong. Naruto was so different. Well, Sasuke and Sakura too but they at least acted like Kakashi had seen kids do. It was rather creepy seeing Sasuke that way, but Kakashi could live with it. It was way creepier to see Naruto act so serious when so small.

Settling down to eat was easy. All three kids were hungry, and even Naruto ate with gusto. Kakashi barely had time to eat. He was too interested watching them act like true kids, although Sasuke wasn't very messy while Sakura kept losing the spaghetti from her fork. Naruto ate with his fingers but he did it was a sort of delicate touch, careful not to spill.

"This is better than my own," the blond said after a little bit.

"Eh? You cook yourself?" Kakashi said.

"Yeah."

"But… you're just five."

"Iruka-sensei cooks sometimes, but he's busy with the older kids."

"The older kids?"

"Yeah, he works in the academy," Naruto said. "But I'm too young. I'll soon start there."

They didn't remember. Nothing beyond their age did they remember. For them, they acted the way they did because it was how they had been at the age of five. So Naruto acted this way because that was how he had acted when he was five. What did he then do? Adopt a false front to lure people? To shield himself from their hate? Kakashi knew they were cruel, even to this day. They hated Kyuubi, and ended up hating an innocent kid.

"I see," he managed. "That's good. How about that fruit now? Sakura, Sasuke, you want some fruit?"

They all picked what they wanted and Naruto held a red apple in his hands, turning it around and around until he looked up at Kakashi.

"It's an apple," he explained.

Naruto poked at it before eating. Whilst Kakashi did the dishes Sakura and Sasuke ended up in the living room while Naruto stayed behind to help him. Well, Kakashi just let him dry the plates and glasses before ushering him to the living room. It had been a strange day for them all, and he was somewhat glad when Sakura and Sasuke fell asleep. He didn't have a spare room but his bed was big enough for all three kids. Naruto didn't even look sleepy so he left the blond whilst he settled the other two down for some rest.

When he came back to the living room Naruto had a large book opened in front of him.

"You found something to read?"

"Yeah. Taijutsu." As on cue, Naruto stood up and stroke a basic Taijutsu stance. "Is this right, Kaka-san?"

Kakashi was too surprised to be surprised, no that didn't make sense in his head either, and adjusted Naruto's arms. "Now it's right. Next one?"

However, not even Naruto could hold out for long. He was soon half-lying in Kakashi's lap, eyes closed and breathing into the copy-nin's neck.

"Tired?" Kakashi asked. Naruto nodded.

Kakashi nodded, stood up with Naruto in his arms and settled him down in the bed along with Sakura and Sasuke. Kakashi spread out a few blankets on the floor next to the bed and settled down himself after having gone through the house and making sure everything was locked and all lights off. After that it was easy to fall asleep.

-o-

The birds were singing. Kakashi, however, was not very pleased by it. He wanted to sleep more, but he couldn't move. Opening his eye, he kept the Sharingan eye closed although he had removed his forehead protector the night before, he realized why he couldn't move.

Sakura lay across his legs, moving slowly in her sleep. Sasuke and Naruto each lay on part of his arms, their heads resting on his chest. He could have stayed there, but it was knocking on the door and the kids weren't waking up.

Moving with the stealth of a shinobi (well, he was one so he better have some skill in that area) he tucked the kids in, rotated his arms and jumped a little while going to the door, rolling his neck to remove any stiffness brought out by sleeping on the floor.

Iruka was what greeted him. The polite smile didn't fool Kakashi; the man was worried.

"Hokage-sama told you?"

"Ten minutes ago. Apparently she didn't dare tell me yesterday," Iruka said.

'_Yeah, no wonder with the look you're wearing.' _"Ahaha, I just assumed she would. Would you like to come in? They're still sleeping though."

Iruka thanked him and Kakashi mentally thanked the mother-hen living inside of the man because he came bearing breakfast.

What surprised Kakashi (just a little bit, he soon would be incapable of reacting to surprises) was Iruka's chuckle when he saw the books on the living room floor. Kakashi hadn't cleaned up after Naruto.

"I'm guessing that's Naruto's fault. I keep telling him to not leave books lying around, but I guess he wants them to be where he left them."

"How did you know it was Naruto and not one of the others?"

"Sakura is too young to be interested in Taijutsu books," Iruka said as he walked into the kitchen, Kakashi trailing after him. "Sasuke is probably already interested, but I doubt he needed to read a book to learn. He had his whole family who showed him."

"So the only one left is Naruto," Kakashi said. "Well, you know more about him than I do. Why is he acting to differently?"

"How do you mean?" Iruka half-glared at him.

"I didn't mean it in any bad way," Kakashi reassured. "He's just… different. He snuck up on me twice yesterday, he's never been able to do that before."

"It's because what people expected of him. To be a loudmouth. To be clumsy and stupid. Be the loser of them all." Iruka turned to the copy-nin. "So he put on a mask. A mask of happiness and large grins. He's not stupid, Kakashi-san. He understands far more than he lets people know. Ramen isn't his favourite meal, but he doesn't have the money for much else. To be honest, he's too powerful to just be a Genin."

"Then why didn't he show it?"

"Calm down, don't disturb the children."

Kakashi sat down by the kitchen table and rubbed his eye. He, like everyone else, had assumed Naruto was a happy kid, shouting about being Hokage and grinning like crazy. Iruka had put the breakfast away and wandered into the living room. Now he came back with a book and sat down.

"This brings back memories."

"Eh?"

Iruka held the book up. "Naruto liked to read from it. Of course he couldn't do all of the techniques illustrated, that's just impossible but in time he learned to understand how they worked. That was enough for him."

It was a book about Ninjutsu, most of which Kakashi knew were Jounin-level. If he understood how they worked, then Naruto was no dead-last of the academy. Kakashi doubted Sakura could do that. Shikamaru might, but it would probably be too troublesome for the kid.

"Where are they sleeping?"

"Well, I put them in my bed but this morning they had migrated and decided Kakashi-san was good enough to sleep _on_. I couldn't move."

Iruka laughed, and Kakashi couldn't help but think the man looked good when he did that. It wasn't the first time he thought that. Kakashi shook his head violently, and Iruka tilted his head to the side.

"Did Naruto learn that from you?" Kakashi asked. "He did it at least twice yesterday."

"Might be from me, or that I learned it from him."

They heard footsteps and Naruto came stumbling in, rubbing his eyes. Once he got his eyes fully open, he looked at Kakashi to Iruka. Then back at Kakashi before the blue eyes widened and he turned to Iruka again. The man had barely time to get up before Naruto was on him, and they both fell down.

"Iruka-sensei," Naruto stated proudly, sitting on Iruka's stomach.

"Morning, Naruto. I see you're as energetic as always," Iruka moaned. "Ooh, it's alright when you're this small but god, the years that came after that…"

"Eh?"

"Oh, nothing." Iruka rose up with Naruto in his arms, ruffling the blond's hair and both grinning at each other. Kakashi saw him run a hand down the thin back, but Iruka didn't let anything show.

"I bought your favourite breakfast," Iruka stated. "But only if you go and wake Sakura-chan and Sasuke-kun, okay? They need breakfast as well."

Naruto ran off and Iruka started preparing breakfast.

"He's thin," Iruka said after a little bit. "I'd forgotten about that."

"Yeah. People tend to forget what they don't really want to remember. Just think of him now, how he is as twelve. He might wear that mask, but I don't think he's unhappy."

"Oh, he is happy," Iruka said. "He tells me that every time he comes over without you. He likes you, his team, his new friends. He's enjoying himself. I just wish he wouldn't… I don't know, pretend to have such a loud personality. He doesn't have to have this front anymore."

They didn't get much further before all three children appeared. Kakashi's kitchen had never been livelier, with three bleary-eyed and hungry children. Iruka seemed more used to it, serving breakfast without a problem. Kakashi saw this as a chance to pick up some new clothes for the kids, and made a quick measuring of them all so he would get clothes that fit better than the ones they were wearing.

"Will you survive them?" Kakashi asked Iruka.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm quite used to it. I can be strict when I need to be."

-o-

Kakashi came back to the apartment after about an hour. Sasuke was instructed into basic Taijutsu stances by Iruka while Sakura watched, Naruto sitting nearby with his own book. Kakashi had to stop for a moment to watch Sasuke copy Iruka's movements, the brunet helping him adjust.

"Kakashi-san." Iruka smiled at him. "Did you find anything for them?"

"I do hope it." He held up the bags, waved them around and said: "Oi, brats. Clothes for you lot."

Sakura was there first, delighted to find a pink and red dress for herself and ran off to change. Sasuke didn't look disappointed with his navy blue T-shirt and white shorts.

"My bedroom, just close the door," Kakashi ushered him on as Naruto approached the bags and found his clothes. A grey T-shirt with a white spiral on the back along with another pair of black shorts.

Naruto changed in front of them, although both turned their backs to give him some privacy. Once he was done, and the other two as well, Kakashi bent down to gather up his old ones. Naruto stopped him from rising, and with one movement, pulled the mask down. Since Kakashi wasn't prepared, they all got to see his face.

The blond tilted his head to the side and said:

"Why do you hide your face?"

"Habit… more or less."

"Well. You look good without it too."

"Why thank you."

Kakashi ruffled Naruto's hair and let the mask slide up again, noticing that Iruka had been looking at him. Before he could ask why, beside the obvious, Sakura ran up and twirled around, showing off her new dress with glee.

Sasuke returned to practising the stances with Iruka while Kakashi picked Naruto up along with the book he was reading. Sakura even got up to try a few of the stances, face serious and mimicking Iruka's movements.

Naruto did read for a bit, but by the end of it Kakashi was the one reading, and the blond slept with his face pressed against Kakashi's throat. It was a strange, yet comforting feeling, having Naruto so close. Having anyone so close.

Sometimes time crawled by. Sometimes it flew. Now it positively ran, and before Kakashi knew it Iruka came to a stop in front of the two of them sitting on the couch, and there was the smell of food in the air.

"I made lunch," Iruka stated.

"Should I wake him?"

"No, let him sleep. Naruto doesn't eat well if you have to wake him for it."

Kakashi nodded before letting the blond down on the couch, covering him with a blanket. Sakura and Sasuke had been very quiet, or he hadn't noticed them but when he got to the kitchen he saw papers and children's writing on them, and an open book apparently Iruka had brought with him. He had made them study? Go Iruka.

It was a change of pace, being just at home and watching kids. Kakashi couldn't admit it felt bad though. It was a nice change. For the first time in a while, he felt truly relaxed. He was just glad his team was well-behaved as kids. Even far more behaved than when they were older. How strange.

Iruka was the one to persuade Naruto to eat something when he had woken up, and the blond chewed tiredly directly from Iruka's hand. The brunet made sure nothing fell down on the couch. Kakashi was now playing teacher, as Sasuke couldn't get enough of learning moves. He wanted to start throwing kunai as well, but Kakashi didn't fancy running around his own apartment trying to escape a five-year old kid's bad aiming skills.

Once Sasuke was in on it, Sakura wanted it too, and Kakashi was ready to run away when Iruka said:

"Oi, no knife-throwing indoors!"

Both children jumped and turned around. Naruto stared up at the brunet.

"But shinobi has to work in every environment," Sasuke declared. Well, he did have a point but…

"You can't do it in Kakashi-san's apartment, that would be rude," Iruka continued. "So be good."

They did give in, and Kakashi could breathe out. By then Iruka had already wrestled them into taking a midday-nap, and even Naruto burrowed down in Kakashi's bed. All three children were out as a light in minutes, and both Kakashi and Iruka sat down with sighs.

"It's tiring," Kakashi stated. "And I'm not even doing anything."

"That's kids. You just get tired even though you're having fun with them."

Kakashi moved so he could look at Iruka. The man even had a good profile. The Chuunin glanced over.

"What? Something on my face?"

"Nope," Kakashi replied.

"Then why are you staring?"

"Because Kakashi-san wants to."

"Kakashi-san has a weird hobby then." Iruka grinned.

"Oh, Naruto didn't tell you? He said to me earlier that I was weird. That means weird hobbies must be included."

"Meaning you have to stare at me?"

Kakashi smiled underneath the mask. Iruka must have caught it because he reached out and pulled it down. For some reason, Kakashi let him. The brunet didn't immediately retract his hand but let it stay with two of the fingertips splayed over Kakashi's cheek.

"I think this it the first time it's just the two of us," Iruka said.

"Well, us and three kids in the next room."

"Yeah, you're right." Iruka let the hand drop, shaking his head. "Sorry. Am I freaking you out?"

"… Not at all, Iruka." This was very weird. Yes, he had always thought Iruka was a handsome man, and he had a nice personality, and a scary one when he was angry, which was alright. People didn't mess with Iruka.

"Good."

-o-

There was nothing suspicious when the three kids woke up. They didn't know that had happened between the two. Not that much had happened. They had talked, and talked more than they dared to when the kids were listening.

Iruka was having a bit of fun at the moment, seeing Kakashi in apron and helping Naruto making cookies. The blond had decided it was a good idea, and even Sasuke was aiding them. He kept away mostly, staying near the kitchen table, but Sakura was digging in. Kakashi caught her hair before it fell into the dough and helped putting it up.

"You really do look like the average father," Iruka commented.

Kakashi spluttered at him, making Sakura laugh, and then the copy-nin threw some dough at Iruka who first dodged it, caught it and hurled it right back at him. Kakashi got it straight in the face.

"Not so fast now, are you Kakashi-san?"

"Kaka-san got hit," Naruto said solemnly but with a smile.

"Kakashi-san is going to have his revenge for that," Kakashi said as he wiped his face clean. "Keep mixing, Naruto."

Iruka did help in the end, cleaning up mostly while the cookies baked in the oven. By that time, the kids were all stationed in front of the TV as they waited for the cookies to get finished. Kakashi had rolled up his arms during the whole process and was now cleaning them off.

"You didn't have to give in, you know," Iruka said.

"I know," Kakashi replied, smiling a little, "but it was hard to resist Naruto's look."

"Yeah, he wins everything over with those eyes of his."

Kakashi knew it worked even today. If Naruto really, really wanted something, he'd give Kakashi the look and the copy-nin wanted to give in. Dangerous power. Cute, yes, but utterly dangerous. Naruto could knock something over of Kakashi's, and still make it look like it was all Kakashi's fault. Damn eyes.

A tug on his pants revealed the little devil, blond locks all over the place and wide eyes staring up at him. Those damn eyes…

"Naruto?" he said nonetheless. "Wasn't anything interesting on TV?"

"No. Are they done?" Naruto pointed at the oven.

"No, they are not," Iruka said, "and you're not getting anyone before dinner anyway."

"Why not?"

"Because then you won't want dinner, and you're eating."

Naruto looked about to protest, pursed his lips instead and crossed his arms. "Fine. Can I borrow a book, Kaka-san?"

"Of course, let's see what I got…"

-o-

It was rather late when it knocked on Kakashi's apartment door. He and Iruka had been watching some TV, but he got up with the knock and let the guest inside. It was Tsunade.

"Are you done already?" Kakashi asked.

"It wasn't that hard to make an antidote to reverse the effects of the potion," she said. "I know it's late, we'll do it tomorrow but I just wanted to come by to tell you."

"That's great," Iruka said. "Will they remember the time as children?"

"Yes, no reason why they shouldn't."

Kakashi grinned at that. "Sasuke is going to be so embarrassed."

"You sadist, you're looking forward to it?" Tsunade asked.

"Seeing his horrified face? Oh yes."

"What about Naruto?" Iruka said quietly and they both looked at him. "You both know he's acting in this time. All those smiles and cheerfulness demeanour. He doesn't outright fake it, he just blows it up unnecessarily."

"He must feel to have a reason fir it," Tsunade said. "I'm not about to condemn him for that."

"I'll ask, but if he doesn't want to tell I won't make it," Kakashi said. "He's good at it. Fooled us all. Except for you, Iruka."

"That's because I knew him from before. When he wasn't wearing that jumpsuit and pretending to be a prankster. Well, not just all pretend… he did like doing some of them."

"Can't imagine why," the Hokage said, grinning. "So, have you had any troubles with them so far?"

"Nope. They're as sweet as angels," Kakashi said. "Too bad they can't be this obedient all the time."

"Believe me, Kakashi. You'd be bored. They do everything you ask, no complaints?"

Kakashi seemed to think about it, then shuddered. "I'd drown myself in hope of something interesting happening."

"Exactly."

Tsunade left not long after that, declining a late cup of tea, and instead the two men each had a cup before Iruka fell asleep on the couch, and Kakashi on the floor next to the couch.

-o-

Naruto was the one to wake them up, but he did get help from Sasuke who pulled at Kakashi's leg, and when the copy-nin didn't move, Sasuke found a book and rammed it down on his stomach. That made him wake up. With a wheeze mind you.

"Sasuke!"

The boy dodged Kakashi's swiping arm, dropped the book and fled to the kitchen with Kakashi after him. Iruka opened his eyes, feeling Naruto carefully poking him in the arm, and then the blond looked at him with a smile.

"Sasuke got Kaka-san up," he stated.

"I heard that," Iruka mumbled. "What about Sakura-chan?"

"Bathroom. I think."

A shriek from Sasuke told them Kakashi had caught him. Iruka sat up and rubbed his eyes, pulling his hair up in his usual ponytail and he said:

"Well then, let's get breakfast started."

Iruka offered to make it while Kakashi had to deal with not just Sasuke but Naruto too, and both of them tried to make him fall over. He did have the advantage of being much taller, and much stronger, but when two five-year old worked determinedly together, he was focusing on them and so completely missed Sakura's surprise attack. Which did make him fall.

At least his team had a good laugh about it. Would have it later as well, when they were back to their normal selves. They'd all have a good laugh, more or less.

Kakashi gave up in the end, three kids on his stomach, when Iruka called them to the kitchen. Sakura and Sasuke got off him but he picked Naruto up along the way and the blond grabbed his shoulders before reaching up and pulling down the mask. Kakashi allowed it. Well, that and he was hungry. He couldn't exactly eat when the mask was up. Had his team been their normal age, they would probably have passed out seeing his face.

Now, they didn't care because they didn't know it was rare he had it down, and never in front of someone.

"Iruka, the dishes can wait," Kakashi tried after breakfast, picking up the bag with his team's normal outfits.

"It'll just take a few minutes, lazy," Iruka said. He reached out a soapy hand and traced the faint outline of the mask's edge, going over the nose and lightly flicking it. "And personally I wouldn't mind seeing that face of yours more often."

"I wouldn't mind showing you." And Kakashi wouldn't. Strange, but the attraction to Iruka hadn't let up, and the brunet didn't look to have anything against it. So why not try? So far Kakashi hadn't been interested in a relationship but it couldn't be too bad when the other was a shinobi too, right?

The kids weren't too worried when Kakashi just a bit later explained that they were going out, and to go visit the blonde lady they had seen earlier. In fact, they were all very excited to go outside. Naruto did stay in his arms though, while Sakura and Sasuke ran out on the street.

Naruto hugged him around the neck. "What is it, Naruto?"

"I liked it with you, Kaka-san. And with Iruka-sensei. Do I have to live alone again?"

Kakashi glanced over at Iruka, then back at Naruto and smiled a little through his mask. "If you don't want to, I'm sure we can figure something out."

Iruka kept Sakura and Sasuke within shouting distance, the two exploring the village as it was both familiar and strange to them, while Naruto rested his head on the copy-nin's shoulder. Well, he did until team ten showed up, with Ino staring at Sakura in shock. The pink-haired girl stared back, tilted her head to the side, and then ran around Ino to continue down the street. Iruka set after her while Shikamaru said:

"Kakashi-san, is that… Naruto?"

"And Sakura!" Ino added. "What the hell happened?"

Just then Sasuke peeked out from behind Kakashi's legs, and glared at them, then ran away. Naruto was watching the three while Kakashi scratched his head.

"Maa, you know, they had a bit of an accident," he said. "We're on our way to Tsunade to get them back to their normal selves."

"Normal selves?" Naruto said. "Aren't we normal?"

"You'll understand in a bit," Kakashi promised.

Sasuke came back, and when he spotted Chouji with his chips, the raven-haired boy immediately latched onto the teen. Chouji stared at Sasuke, then at his team, finally at Kakashi, lost what to do.

"Is this really Sasuke?" he finally asked.

"Yup. I get to tease him for months for his behaviour."

"Kakashi!" Iruka said, hands on hips while Sakura clutched the Chuunin's leg. "That's awful."

"For Sasuke, yes. For me, I will be having fun."

Naruto had been quietly watching Shikamaru before tugging at one lock of Kakashi's hair.

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Is that a Nara?"

"Yes, it is. How did you figure that out?"

"I wasn't finished. The blonde one is a Yamanaka, and the big one is an Akimichi."

"Very good," Kakashi said. "Again, how did you figure that out?"

"Their looks. It's not that hard to figure it out. Like, it's real easy to figure out a Hyuuga or an Uchiha."

"Yes, because of their eyes. But you recognize them because of their looks?"

Naruto nodded. "I liked them. They were never mean to me."

"That's good," Kakashi said, "people should never be mean to children."

"Lots of them were," Naruto said and buried his head in Kakashi's shoulder. "But not them."

"What did he mean?" Shikamaru asked.

"People are cruel to avoid being hurt themselves," Kakashi told him. "They find a target to torment, for their own sake. I won't go in closer on it. Naruto can tell you if he wants too."

Then he began to walk, and Iruka managed to get a move on both Sakura and Sasuke.

-o-

The antidote had already been poured up and the kids dressed in their normal clothes, that barely managed to stay on them. Naruto smelled the liquid and made a face, but drank it nonetheless when told to.

Puffs of smoke and coughing, retching from Sasuke's position, and soon they were all back to normal. Sakura shook her head and blinked a few times. Sasuke started to look indifferent, caught sight of Kakashi and his black eyes widened as the memories returned. Kakashi laughed, yes laughed, at the horrified look the Uchiha wore. Sasuke gave up and buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking.

Sakura herself was blushing, before she screamed:

"Ino saw me like a little brat again!"

Naruto however, had his eyes stuck on Kakashi and Iruka. He wasn't smiling. He didn't look scared. He was just looking at them, like awaiting judgement.

Sasuke asked if he could leave, and the moment Tsunade had checked him and the other two over that they were fine and said they were allowed to go, he bolted. Sakura wasn't far behind. Naruto looked over at the door, then at the three adults and finally said:

"What?"

"I think that's what we should say," Tsunade said.

"It's… a long story."

"And to make a long story short?" Kakashi asked.

"I thought it would be better if everyone thought I was just an idiot," Naruto said and looked away. "Everything would be easier, they wouldn't be on their guards. They'd just see me and think, oh, he's just an idiot, no worries about him going Kyuubi-crazy on our asses."

"Why do I have the feeling you could have been so much better if you hadn't pretended?" Tsunade asked, leaning against the desk.

"Why even ask? There's no way they'd let me be anything."

"And why not?"

"Who would want to be protected by Kyuubi? That's all I am to these guys. I'm not his vessel, I am him. And that hurts."

He didn't look at them. He stared down at his own feet. After a while he cleared his throat and said:

"Can I go now?"

"Of course," Tsunade said quietly.

"I'll go with you," Kakashi said. "Want to come along, Iruka?"

-o-

Naruto wasn't sure what to feel as he walked down the street with Kakashi and Iruka. He had really clung onto Kakashi these last few days. He hadn't mind. He probably still wouldn't mind. Iruka had cared for him now and then when he was a child, but not always. Hugs had been there, but scarce. Maybe he just wanted to feel that again. Hugging. It was nice.

He didn't notice where they were until Kakashi set him down on the couch. The couch in Kakashi's apartment. When they hell had they arrived at his teacher's place? Even so, he couldn't muster the energy to get up, run out again. He heard Kakashi and Iruka both in the kitchen, and so curled up on the couch. He never really were at people's houses. No one wanted him around as a kid, and now he didn't want to go anywhere. He had people he talked to, in his own age, but he had never been to their homes. There had never been any reason for him to be invited.

"Naruto?"

Kakashi sat down next to him and Naruto looked up.

"Still feel like you don't want to live alone?"

That had him blushing at the embarrassment. But he had been serious then, just a little while ago. It had occupied the young mind the whole way through the village. Did he have to live alone again? Coming back each and every day to an empty room?

"Yes," he finally replied. "Why?"

"Well, we had a talk with each other, me and Iruka," Kakashi said, "and we both agree we both want your best."

"And that means…?"

"Naruto," and there was Iruka, smiling his usual smile that made Naruto smile back, "do you remember a wish you once made as a kid?"

Naruto didn't have to ask which year. It hadn't been just one time he had said that wish. Iruka couldn't be talking about any other wish.

"I wanted to live with a family that didn't mind having me there," Naruto said. "Everyone else got picked up by their parents, but I always stayed behind. Just to watch them being happy."

"Yeah. It might not be the same now, when you're older and all but…" Iruka sat down. "I've always wanted a house, you know? Not that small apartment I have now."

"I know." Naruto looked between the two of them, almost suspiciously. "What are you two getting at?"

"One house for the three of us… how does that sound?"

Naruto uncurled while his jaw dropped a little.

"Are you two serious?"

"I'd say so," Kakashi replied. "Close your mouth, Naruto."

It snapped shut. Then he pinched, Kakashi, hard.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"It hurt? Means it's not a dream?"

"Aren't you supposed to pinch yourself?" Kakashi almost whined.

"Why's that? I'd only hurt myself. I'm not an idiot." Naruto grinned, then remembered something. "Aah!" He pointed at Kakashi.

"What?" the copy-nin said hesitantly.

"I saw your face! Iruka-sensei, I saw Kakashi-sensei's face!"

Kakashi laughed as Naruto jumped up on the couch. "I bet Sakura and Sasuke didn't even think about it! Haha!"

Iruka joined them, a bit more quietly, looking at Naruto and thinking that it was a good start.

Tbc…

* * *

Not following a specific timeline but the story differs a lot from the manga and anime considering it was written when a lot of present information wasn't in my head. Take it as it goes.

Tiro


	2. Chapter 2

**The child incident and Kakashi's discovery**

**Pairing: **KakaIru

-o-

Updated 2013-07-02

-o-

**Chapter two**

Naruto dropped the last box and fell down on the couch.

"That's it, I'm done," he sighed.

"Naruto, there is still things left to pack," Iruka said.

"Unbelievable. How much can you two stack up?"

"Lots, apparently," Kakashi noted as he looked around, surrounded by boxes. "I haven't seen some of this stuff for years."

"Doesn't that mean you have too much?" Naruto complained.

"It just means we're getting old," Iruka sighed.

"Don't say that!" Kakashi complained. "Some of it aren't really mine, I inherited it from my parents…"

"Well, so did I. I guess Naruto gets to inherit it all from us then?"

"All this?" Naruto said, waving his arms about. "No way!"

-o-

The house they found themselves in was in the outskirts of Konoha, where other shinobi families could be found. It was different for all of them, having lived in apartments before but Naruto was very happy to get away from his place. It hadn't been too bad, but it had been lonely. His packing had been considerately lighter than Iruka's and Kakashi's, plus he had almost thrown away all of his old clothes. He had started to like colours as he got older, but his orange jumpsuit was a bit too much. The stores hadn't sold him much more than that, though. They probably secretly wanted him dead. The bastards.

Well, now Iruka made sure he had new clothes, and Kakashi had helped him pick out a few new weapons, and both helped him with his Taijutsu.

Sasuke and Sakura had been terribly embarrassed by the whole situation of them turning into children, but Sakura was soon back to clinging at Sasuke by every chance she got and Naruto did feel sorry for Sasuke. Couldn't be easy having such a person clinging to you constantly. He himself hadn't really had a crush on Sakura, it was just what people expected of a loud personality like he had portrayed. Now he had more time over to train, and scold Kakashi for Iruka's sake when the copy-nin focused more on his Icha Icha Paradise books than his team.

Naruto put down the final box and surveyed the room. Adults sure had a lot of things they never really used. Would he be the same in the future? His copies walked in with their final boxes and then disappeared when he dismissed them, just as Iruka announced:

"Dinner's ready, you two."

Kakashi, with his mask down, jumped up from where he had been sorting… something, and Naruto eagerly followed. Food was nice after such a long day of transporting things. Well, half a day. They had been training, team seven, earlier. Sakura had cheered Sasuke on and screamed angrily at Naruto when he landed a hit. One would think a smart person like Sakura would realize having a hopeless crush on a guy who didn't care for you that way, wouldn't benefit anyone in the end. But she was clearly living in denial.

As for Sasuke, he had been nicer to Naruto. He didn't ignore the blond like before, and both had found themselves having some small talk now and then when they waited on Kakashi. The man was late, no matter what. Naruto still did the accusing shouting, mostly because it was fun to hear what excuse Kakashi came up with while looking a bit embarrassed.

'I was held up by a cute dolphin' had made Sakura and Sasuke confused, and Naruto horrified. He did not want to think how Iruka had made Kakashi late, nor did he want to hear more about it. The adults could keep that lovely dovey things for themselves for all he cared.

"Naruto, don't pick at the food. Eat it. And then maybe you should go to bed, it's been a long day."

Iruka's voice broke through his thoughts and Naruto started shuffling in the food.

"Not that fast!"

Naruto grinned at Iruka, and continued to eat in his fast fashion.

"Naruto!"

"Sorry, I haven't got any manners," Naruto said with a shrug.

"Chew and swallow before you speak!"

Kakashi only laughed.

-o-

Naruto fell asleep, despite Iruka's attempts to get him to his room, on the couch in the living room. The book he had been reading, basics in Genjutsu, falling to the floor had alerted the two adults that the blond just lost the fight against sleep.

"That Naruto… I told him to go to his room," Iruka sighed and started to stand up.

"No, it's alright. I'll do it," Kakashi offered. "You're tired too."

"Kakashi, we all are. Plus you and Naruto had training earlier."

"He was the one training. I was just cheering."

"Liar. You were both dirty enough to have fought."

Well, it hadn't been as much of a fight as Naruto and Sasuke jumping on him, causing him to fall from his branch down onto the ground. And then the three had wrestled, Sakura laughing before being caught up in it as well. Kakashi had sported a nice lump on his head where her anger-filled fist had struck him.

Kakashi now only smiled sheepishly before ducking into the living room and pulled Naruto up. The young teen barely stirred, yawning as he put both arms around Kakashi's neck. He was carried off to his own room and put down on the bed. Kakashi didn't bother undress him but just pulled the blankets up and watched Naruto snuggle down beneath them.

He closed the door after him and met Iruka in the living room.

"He's already asleep?"

"Yup." Kakashi glanced around the room. "Should we try to clean up a bit?"

"I think that can wait until tomorrow, don't you think?"

Kakashi was about to reply when he saw Iruka grinning.

"Oh, are we going to do stuff that Naruto gags at?"

"He's still young. He'll get the picture one day. But yes, I believe we are. Now come here."

Kakashi followed like an obedient puppy, putting the lights out as they went. Perhaps not the most normal family or life he had ended up in, but he wouldn't trade it for the world.

Tbc…

* * *

Hope you enjoyed.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	3. Chapter 3

**The chibi accident and Kakashi's discovery**

Hello there, Tiro here. Here are the results over yaoi-pairing so far:

SasuNaru: 9

ShinoNaru: 2

NejiNaru: 2

GaaNaru: 5

I will not do any yaoi-pairing in this chapter except for our beloved Kakashi and Iruka.

Unfortunately I need to say this; I am not a big fan of Sakura, but I will try not be too evil against her. For any Sakura-fans, sorry!!! I will really, really try be nice and give her a good life!

"Blah" Talk

'_Blah' _Thinking

'**Blah'** Kyuubi speaking

**Ch. 3: Mission**

Naruto woke up and yawned. He groaned as he realized today was the day they would leave for a week-long mission. No big deal really; they were just going to escort a business man to Wave country. Maybe he would have time to see Inari, Tazuna and Tsunami. It was just the idea of being with his team for a week that made him groan. Kakashi was not bad, Sasuke he could live with as well but Sakura… she really was too load for her own good.

He succeeded get out of the bed and slide out from Kakashi's T-shirt. He grabbed his clothes and dressed. He wore a long-sleeved black shirt, grey baggy pants with some pockets and a thin black vest over the shirt. His hitai-ate had been fixed so that it now had long black stripes. He did not take it on though. Not while being at home. _Home_. He liked that word.

* * *

Naruto bounced out from his room, mercilessly waking up Kakashi and Iruka by jumping into their bed. Iruka's head flew up and he was greeted by a handful of Naruto. Kakashi yawned and looked at them. Naruto sat on Iruka's stomach and the brunette kept the boy steady by putting his hands on the blonde's waist. The Copy-nin rose from the bed and smiled down at Iruka and Naruto. The blonde carefully jumped off Iruka and ran to the kitchen. 

"Lively this early in the morning", Kakashi muttered.

"I'm sure you'll get used to us morning-persons soon", Iruka smiled and rose up.

"If I live with you any longer, I'll end up going up four a.m every morning", Kakashi groaned and then yawned.

Iruka giggled a bit and then slung his arms around Kakashi's neck.

"Is it really that bad?" the brunette said.

"Actually, no", Kakashi said and kissed his dolphin.

Naruto had already packed his bag by the time Kakashi and Iruka came to the kitchen. Meanwhile he had also made breakfast, and eaten his own. He looked at the clock, then at Kakashi and said:

"You are going to be late."

"I was distracted by a cute dolphin", Kakashi answered and Iruka went red. Naruto giggled at that.

"Well, I'm going now", the blonde said.

Iruka gave the boy a tight hug before letting him leave. Naruto ran out the door waving to his 'mom' and 'dad'; the latter would join him soon. Kakashi sat down and mumbled:

"I gotta learn how to make breakfast like Naruto…"

* * *

Naruto got to the gate where they were supposed to meet, relieved that he was the first one to arrive. He sat down just outside it and stared up at the sky. He gave a long sigh and stretched his arms. He closed his eyes and waited. He heard footsteps and when he opened his eyes Sasuke came in view. The raven simply nodded to him, and Naruto nodded back. Sasuke sat down next to Naruto and they waited in silence. Sakura came soon and she immediately started asking _her_ Sasuke-kun for a date. Sasuke ignored her. He was really sick of her behaviour. She was nice, really, but she was still acting too childish. 

"Yo."

"You're late!" Sakura yelled at the Copy-nin that just had joined them.

"Aah, I got distracted by a very cute dolphin who didn't want me to leave", Kakashi said with his visible eye curved into his known 'eye-smile'.

Sakura and Sasuke 'huh'ed at their sensei while Naruto stared at him. _'He actually said that'_, the blonde thought.

"Let's go", Kakashi said and started walking.

The three Genins' quickly followed their teacher as they walked to get their client.

They walked out of the gate fifteen minutes later. Naruto and Kakashi walked in front, their client in the middle with Sakura and Sasuke was guarding their back. The blonde glanced around him, taking in the beautiful nature but was aware of any dangers as well. The pink-haired kunoichi was glancing at Sasuke all the time, and giggled when he happened to look at her. Naruto found that sound irritating. Sakura needed to grow up in order to be strong. Their client was happily chatting with Kakashi, even though the man was chased by bandits. Naruto found this sentimental. If a missing-nin jumped in their path and wanted their client, he would not be surprised.

Luckily, nothing bad happened. They stopped for the night in a small clearing inside the forest, instead camping by the road. The blonde had first watch, so he installed a comfy branch to sit on and settled in. Their client, Sakura and Sasuke fell asleep quickly, but Kakashi jumped up on the branch and walked to his charge. He sat down in front of Naruto and picked out a small Taijutsu-tactics book.

"No perverted-books this time?" Naruto asked.

"Iruka stole them", Kakashi whined.

"Serves you right", the blonde said and stuck out his tongue.

The Copy-nin pouted and muttered something about 'meanie blondes'. For that he received a hit on his head by his 'son'. The blonde looked at the whining Kakashi and said:

"Damn pervert, can't believe Iruka-sensei can put up with you."

"Obviously he loves me", Kakashi said.

All he got in answer was a raised eyebrow. The Copy-nin laughed and patted Naruto on his head.

The next day they moved on but were met by a bunch of bandits. Kakashi calculated it to around thirty people, _too many, too damn many_, and then glanced at his students. Sakura was ready with two kunai's in her hands even though she looked a bit pale. Sasuke had picked out a kunai and stood ready, Sharingan activated. Naruto stood ready in a Taijutsu stance. Kakashi smiled; they were only genins but that did not mean they were weak.

"Sakura, protect Tsuki-san (A/N Their clients name, can't believe I forgot that!)" he said.

"Hai!" she called out and put herself between Tsuki and the bandits.

"Naruto, Sasuke don't let your guard down." The two boys nodded and Kakashi got ready in a Taijutsu stance. The bandits started laughing and one of them said:

"You really think you can beat us?!"

The three Konoha shinobi ran forward in the same moments as the bandits. Naruto kept himself to basic Taijutsu; Sasuke did the same while Kakashi hardly made an effort. Suddenly a large man with dread locks pulled out a hidden blade and swung it towards Naruto.

"Naruto!" Kakashi screamed out.

* * *

Drip… drip… 

Blood dripped down on in the mud, and Sasuke's eyes widened. Naruto held the blade with his hands; his body had made such a swift and fast movement that the Sharingan had not seen it. The man with the dread locks suddenly had Kakashi's foot in his face and went straight into a tree. The Copy-nin growled and his killer intent made the bandits go pale. Sasuke stared at his teacher in wonder, and fear. Why did Kakashi react so strongly? Sasuke hated when he did not know the answer.

Naruto used the fear of the bandits to buy some time. He kneeled down and brought his hands together. He made one seal and put most of them in a Genjutsu. Sasuke and Kakashi ended their lives quickly, going for the ones that did not fell for the Genjutsu first. Naruto examined his hands; the wounds were healing slowly, not to get any attention. Sasuke kneeled in front of him and silently gave him a bottle of water and some bandages.

"Thanks", Naruto said. "That last attack was pretty cool, where did ya learn that?"

Sasuke had jumped over a person, grabbed that person's head with his left hand, and another one with his right hand before smashing them together. While he was doing that, he also kicked two guys in the head, knocking them out before making a back flip and landing safely on his feet.

The Uchiha just snorted and did not answer immediately. Then he leaned in closer and said:

"I'll teach you that one later, if you teach me that Genjutsu."

"Deal."

Sasuke smiled, a small smile but a real one nonetheless and the blonde smiled back. Sakura jumped on Sasuke and asked if _he_ had been hurt. She took no notice of Naruto's bloodied hands. Kakashi helped the young boy to clean and bandaged it up. Tsuki stood silently and waited. He apologized for the mess he had made, but Kakashi shrugged it off with the words 'It's our job to protect you; someone can easily get hurt'. Naruto flexed his fingers and found it hurt a bit. Sakura still hanged onto Sasuke's arm as they continued their way to the Wave country. The blonde yawned a bit; he had not slept since they left Konoha, and it began to wear him out a bit. Kakashi was consuming the Taijutsu tactics book, while thinking of ways to molest Iruka when they came back.

* * *

In Konoha, a certain dolphin sneezed.

* * *

They reached the Great Naruto Bridge before nightfall. Naruto stared at the name for a long time; he never thought they would actually name the bridge after him. Sasuke only smirked at the blonde. Suddenly the said blonde was attacked from behind. The thing squealed happily while chanting: 

"Naruto-niichan!"

"I-Inari?" Naruto said as the pried of the boy with a little help from the Uchiha.

Inari hugged Naruto's waist while nodding. Their client turned to them and said:

"Since you're going to protect me a few days more, how about you stay at my house? It is not far from here."

Naruto finally made Inari let him go and promised to visit him, Tsunami and Tazuna as soon as he was free. Naruto waved at Inari with a small smile on his face. They continued until they came to a nice looking house. A worried woman came out, Tsuki's wife, and hugged her husband tight. She then was introduced by Tsuki to the shinobis'. She smiled gently at them and then practically forced them inside so that she could make them dinner. She showed them two rooms; one for Sakura and one for the males in team 7.

* * *

The pink-haired kunoichi immediately headed for the bathroom to take a shower while Kakashi helped Naruto change bandages. Sasuke sat on his bed and stared into the wall. Something was definitely wrong with Kakashi and Naruto. The way Kakashi treated Naruto was almost like a… son? The Uchiha was clearly confused, and frowned. 

Kakashi finished bandaging while Naruto complain that it would heal fine on its own. Kakashi glared at the blonde and said quietly:

"It's me who will suffer Iruka's wrath."

"Again, serves you right", the boy said without a care in the world.

Kakashi loved Naruto, but right now he could cheerfully strangle him. The boy laughed and asked Sasuke if he was up for some training. The raven shrugged and they left. Kakashi sat on the bed and gathered the bandages and healing salve. He got up and looked outside where his two students trained. Or Naruto was explaining something to Sasuke. Probably about the genjutsu. Kakashi sighed and went to see if Tsuki was alright.

Sasuke frowned as he looked at Naruto. The blonde was sitting on a stone and enjoyed the breeze that came from the water. Something had happened. Naruto before that chibi accident was loud and bad at everything. Now he was better than Sakura on genjutsus. Sasuke could not beat him in Taijutsu anymore. If it had been a few months earlier, Sasuke would have gotten jealous and angry. But after they had stopped him from going to Orochimaru he felt more at peace. He no longer wished to hunt after Itachi. He realized strength could not be obtained quickly without any consequences. The raven shaked his head as he realized he was getting side-tracked. He looked at the blonde and smiled a bit. He did not have anything against a strong Naruto. Before Naruto always smiled but Sasuke had always felt there was something wrong with that smile. Now when the blonde smiled… Sasuke liked the new smile much more.

Tsuki's wife, named Taiyou, was a good cook. A very good cook. Team 7 had a great appetite and Taiyou was happy when they praised her cooking. She blushed furiously before stuttering a bit like Hinata. Let's just say that neither of them went to bed hungry.

They would take turn to watch Tsuki, so Sakura and Kakashi would take the first night. Sasuke and Naruto went to bed later that night while Sakura and Kakashi positioned themselves outside Tsuki's bedroom.

Naruto changed into one of Kakashi's old T-shirts. Sasuke changed into a pair of black pants and a black shirt. Naruto curled up in the bed and send Iruka a mental good night. The blonde shifted and mumbled out loud:

"Night, Sasuke."

"Night…"

The raven peeked up over the covers and glanced at the blonde, who stopped shifting and yawned. Sasuke could not help but smile a bit; a part of the old Naruto would always be there, no matter how strong or smart the blonde became. The boys fell asleep quickly.

Only to the rudely awakened by a grumpy Kakashi early in the morning. Naruto sat up and looked on as Kakashi for some reason threw cold water over Sasuke, as he had done with Naruto only moments before. The raven haired boy shot up and looked at Kakashi. The Copy-nin grumbled and said that breakfast was ready. With that he left the room.

"What the hell?" Sasuke said with raised eyebrows.

"He wants Icha Icha Paradise", Naruto said.

"Pervert", Sasuke mumbled as he got up.

The blonde agreed. They got dressed and went down to the dining room. Kakashi grumbled and was picking on his food. Naruto filled a glass with cold water and dumped it over his sensei's and 'dad's' head.

"Cool down", the blonde said as Kakashi whirled around to stare at his student. "You really need to learn not to have Icha Icha with you all the time!"

Tsuki and Taiyou had a good laugh, while Sasuke tried to hide his behind his palm. Sakura came just in and stood shocked. Kakashi looked at Naruto before joining Tsuki and his wife. The Copy-nin scratched his head in embarrassment and did his famous 'eye-smile' to Naruto who grinned. Sasuke looked at them both. Something was going on. Sasuke found himself getting happy for Naruto's sake.

* * *

Naruto sat later behind Tsuki and read a scroll as the man was discussing something with some colleagues. Sasuke stood guard by the window. They had seen signs of bandits that had tried to storm the house but were stopped by the two boys. Kakashi and Sakura had taken a nap to gain some of their strength. The raven looked out and twirled a kunai between his fingers. Some of the men looked nervously at them two, as they had seen their fight with the bandits. Naruto looked relaxed as he read the scroll, but in reality he was well aware of his surroundings and he strained his hearing to the maximum to hear if Taiyou was alright. She was on the first floor in the kitchen, and he was on the second floor the furthest away form the kitchen. Sasuke snapped up his head and Naruto looked at him. The blonde let go of the scroll and the men looked at them. 

"Something wrong, Naruto, Sasuke?" Tsuki said.

"How many of them?" Naruto said.

"Ten bandits, and a shinobi", Sasuke said.

The men got nervous but Naruto said:

"I'll send Taiyou up here and then seal the room so that no one can get in, okay?"

Tsuki nodded and the both boy disappeared. Taiyou entered the room only moments later, and then heard Naruto mutter:

"Seal."

The room shook slightly and then there was silence.

"You think the boys will be alright?" one of the men said.

"They're shinobi; they'll be fine", Tsuki said.

The bandits were happy; they had found a good missing-nin that worked for money. The missing-nin came from Rock and looked up at the house.

"Kill this Tsuki guy, right?" he said.

"Yes, Asume-san, if you would be so kind", the bandits' leader said.

Asume Kamoto looked at the leader, and then widened his eyes slightly when he felt someone seal a part of the house. Then he grinned and said:

"Looks like I'll have some fun."

The moment he said that something landed in front of them. Something with blonde hair. Naruto stood up and looked at the missing-nin. The said shinobi looked at the boy, sighed and said:

"Scratch that, this is going to be boring. Oi, gaki if ya wanna life then--"

"Asume Kamoto, missing-nin from Rock. Wanted for killing his team and wiping out a third of an innocent village, most of the victims children", Naruto read like a book and Kamoto froze. "He looks boring, right Sasuke?"

"Are you sure it's him?" a voice said and Sasuke showed up from the thin air.

The blonde nodded lazily and yawned. Kamoto growled and said:

"I'm gonna kill ya!"

Then he got Sasuke's foot in his face and was kicked into a tree. Sasuke flipped back on the ground and said:

"Are you sure about that?"

From the smoke a dragon made by mud came out a shot against Sasuke. The raven went through some seals and shouted out:

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"(1)

Fire shot out form Sasuke's mouth and destroyed the mud dragon. Kamoto stood up and said with wide open eyes:

"A Genin can use such a strong Jutsu?!"

Sasuke smirked and jumped back to Naruto. The blonde went through some seals and the wind started to blow around Kamoto and the bandits. The blue eyes closed and Naruto called out:

"Fuuton: Wind Barrier!"

Kamoto and the bandits tried to get out but were cut by the sharp wind. Sasuke ran around the barrier, without the bandits and the missing-nin knowing what he did.

From the window, Tsuki, his wife and the colleagues looked on with wide eyes.

The barrier died down and Sasuke stopped in front of Kamoto. The missing-nin growled:

"I'm gonna cut off your heads for underestimating me!"

He took on step and the ground exploded around them. Sasuke had placed out explosive notes that would react like a domino if one was stepped on. Sasuke jumped back and the both boys waited. Three shurikens came out from the smoke and they both jumped aside. Kamoto came out with one leg bleeding but he was alive. The bandits had all died. Naruto took out three senbon and Sasuke gripped two kunais. Kamoto directed a mud dragon towards Naruto while running towards Sasuke. The raven went through seals and shouted:

"Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!"(2)

Small fireballs shot out and Kamoto had to stop to be able to dodge them. He put up a mud barrier and Sasuke had to jump if he not wanted to sink into the ground.

Naruto dismissed the dragon with a well placed 'Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu'(3) and then ran towards Kamoto. The poor missing-nin had no chance to dodge as the blonde did 'Suirou no Jutsu' (4) and trapped him in water like Zabuza had did with Kakashi on their first real mission. The missing-nin screamed:

"There is no chance in hell that you are Genins! What the hell are you?!"

"Uchiha Sasuke, Genin from Konoha", the raven said.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Genin from Konoha", the blonde said.

The missing-nin screamed but was soon silenced by a quick kunai by Sasuke. The boys looked at each other and then gave out a laugh. Naruto unsealed the room that their client was in, and soon Taiyou came out from the house.

"Oh my god, are you alright?" she said.

"We're fine", Naruto said. "Just a bit tired."

Kakashi came out, and smiled. He had no interfered with the boys' battle; instead he had watched and waited in case they needed help. Naruto looked at the missing-nin and then yawned. Sasuke took his kunai and cleaned it on the grass before checking it for scratches. Sakura came out, newly woken up. She looked at the bloodshed and gulped.

* * *

The rest of the day went smoothly, Taiyou spoiling the boys to death. Sasuke and Naruto could not help but smile at the woman. She treated them like her own little boys and even taught them some of her favourite recipes in the kitchen. Sakura and Kakashi watched Tsuki but the Copy-nin doubted Tsuki would be hunted from that day on. Oh, he was wrong… 

As night came Kakashi and Sakura went to bed while Naruto and Sasuke stayed up. They sat in the corridor outside and played 'Jan-ken-pon'(5) out of boredom. Naruto laid down flat on the floor after two hours of that game. Sasuke tried to meditate but was constantly interrupted.

Wait a minute… Naruto was not making any sounds, yet he was interrupted?? Sasuke opened his eyes and Naruto had noticed as well. They slowly rose up and Naruto dodged a kunai. They looked up and three men jumped down. They had all Rock hitai-ate with a slash over the mark.

"More of them?" Naruto said.

"Like damn cockroaches", Sasuke said. "Kill one, and three more shows up."

"Those two brats killed Kamoto?" one of them said. He had a scar across one eye.

"Damn Kamoto, making us do the work", another one said. He had a tattoo on his forehead with the number '666'.

"Talk about bad fashion", Naruto said about the tattoo. The man flinched and then growled.

"Calm down Jirou" the third, most likely the leader, said. He was tall and quite well build with yellow eyes.

The man with the scar took out a sword and snorted.

"I'll chop of their heads with one swing", the man said.

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other and with a nod they vanished. Jirou was kicked back by Naruto and the man with the sword suddenly blacked out by a neat punch by Sasuke. Jirou rose up with a broken lip and an already swollen eye. The leader shrugged of his coat and smirked to the raven haired Genin.

"Wanna die that badly gaki?" he asked.

Sasuke knew this man was strong. Jirou was not half bad either, he just got surprised. Naruto took out a senbon and narrowed his eyes. His normally bright face was cast in shadows and Jirou felt like the boy looked through him. As a given signal, Jirou and Naruto vanished outside. Sasuke did not look away from the leader.

"Hmm…", the leader said. "You got some nerve. Your name koso(6)?"

"Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke", the raven said.

The leader reacted to Uchiha. Then he grinned and said:

"Looks like this will be fun. My name is Rate Kira and I was in ANBU before I betrayed my village."

Sasuke swore under his breath. This guy was strong. He wondered if he could make it to Kakashi and wake the Copy-nin up. But if Kira followed him the man could have a chance to kill Kakashi if the infamous shinobi had not fully woken up. Sasuke swore again. He had to think out a plan NOW.

* * *

Naruto jumped away from kunais again and threw senbons. Jirou dodged the needles and made seals. Then he was finished the missing-nin screamed out: 

"Doton: Mud dragon!"

"Again?" Naruto muttered. "Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"

A water dragon came out from the nearby stream and the two dragons cancelled each other. Naruto flipped over the missing-nin and proceeded to kick him. Jirou blocked the kick with his arm and sent his palm into Naruto's chest. Naruto flipped over and landed on the ground. He stood up in a Taijutsu stance while hiding one hand behind his back. Jirou grinned and said:

"Want to die the hard way or easy way?"

"Neither", Naruto said as he finished the one handed seals and shouted out:

"Katon: Tobihi!"(7)

Flames came up and surrounded the missing-nin. Naruto leaped forward and kicked Jirou in the chest. Jirou was pushed back bit and growled. On the inside he was terrified. _'No seals at all? No that can't be right. No Genin can do that! One handed seals? Maybe but you had to be at least Chuunin for that! One second he was doing a Suiton and in the next a freakin' Katon!'_ Jirou's mind was working overdrive as Naruto jumped forward again. They exchanged blows at a fast rate. Naruto felt his chakra running low. He had not recovered from the mess earlier that day and now this. He delivered a kick and jumped back. He needed to end this quickly.

* * *

Sasuke kept Kira busy with three Kage Bunshins and he then took off to wake Kakashi. He was panting and he almost no energy left. He threw the door open and Kakashi was awoken by the sound. The Copy-nin sat up abruptly and looked at the panting student. What scared him was the Sasuke's Sharingan that was spinning madly and the low chakra his student had. 

"We're under attack", Sasuke said. "Naruto is outside with a missing-nin."

A crash was heard and Sasuke froze. He then said to the now alert shinobi:

"And it looks like my missing-nin got away from my traps."

Kakashi lifted up his student and blocked the kunai that would have penetrated Sasuke's skull. His Sharingan was spinning unbelievably fast. Sasuke let his own Sharingan deactivate and he got his normal onyx eyes.

"Sasuke, go and help Naruto", Kakashi said and put him down.

"Hai!"

* * *

Naruto jumped back. His Tobihi was gone and Jirou could move freely now. Naruto was irritated; blood came in his eyes all the time, his whole body ached since the last attack. He had taken a stone dragon head on. His shirt was turned to shreds and was dirty. Naruto threw a smoke bomb and jumped up in a tree. He hid his chakra, or whatever was left or it, and leaned back for a little while. 

'**Now what?'**

'_I don't know Kyuubi'_, Naruto said to the great demon. _'My chakra is almost gone and the Jutsus I know need a lot of chakra.'_

The demon shifted uneasily in its prison. Kyuubi let his chakra leak out into Naruto and said grumpily:

'**Use my chakra and finish him off, kit.'**

Naruto nodded, felt new strength fill him and stretched. He jumped down, his back against Jirou.

"Ready to die?" Jirou said.

Naruto turned around, went through seals and shouted:

"Katon: Kouen!"(8)

Red flames shot out from Naruto's mouth and Jirou dodged at the cost of his right arm.

"You damn kid!" he screamed.

Naruto felt Kyuubi's chakra leave with the Kouen and had no time for ask for more as Jirou came in high speed with a shuriken in his left hand.

* * *

A kunai graced Jirou's cheek and he had to jump away from Sasuke's kick. Sasuke twirled around and landed on his back. He got up beside Naruto and panted. 

"I'm not gonna ask how you learned that one", Sasuke said, "Let's just kill him."

The blonde nodded and wiped away the blood trickling down his forehead. Kyuubi filled his host with chakra one more time saying:

'**Any more of my chakra in your current state and you're dead kit, got that?'**

'_Yeah'_, Naruto said and Kyuubi settled back to watch the last of the battle.

* * *

Sasuke was having a hard time concentrate. He had suffered a pretty good blow to his head and was near to pass out. Naruto did not look any better. The left side of his face was full of blood and his clothes were pretty much destroyed. 

"Sasuke", Naruto said. "Are you out of chakra?"

"Pretty much", Sasuke said.

"Can you distract him for a minute or two for me? I got some chakra left I'm gonna use", Naruto said.

Sasuke nodded to Naruto and was handed some kunais and shurikens. He grabbed them and went to work.

* * *

Kakashi delivered a last blow to the man with the sword that had woken up. He turned to Kira who smirked at him. Kakashi had yet to use any Ninjutsu so his chakra was pretty much untouched. 

"The kids are probably dead by now", Kira laughed.

"They're fine", Kakashi said.

"What makes you believe that? Jirou is Jounin-level."

"I believe in my team", the Copy-nin said. "Something you'll never understand. Trust."

Kakashi took out a kunai and got ready. Kira growled, aggravated by the Konoha Jounin's cool temper. He went through seals and called out:

"Fuuton: Sharp blade!"

Kakashi had copied the Jutsu and cancelled it by sending the same Jutsu back. Not wanting to destroy Tsuki's house, he took out a shuriken, threw it and called out:

"Kage Shuriken no Jutsu!"

Instead of one shuriken there was one hundred. They all hit their target; the missing-nin. Kira fell down on the ground, dead.

* * *

Sasuke was getting tired. Very tired. Naruto seemed to concentrate a lot, working himself trough a bunch of seals. After every tenth seal, he placed his right palm on the ground before starting over. Sasuke kept Jirou away from his team mate and friend by throwing kunais and shurikens. 

Sasuke lost his balance and fell down on the ground. Jirou took it as a chance and ran towards Naruto. Suddenly the air around the blonde stopped. Stones and other small things around him lifted by the sheer force and tension around the blonde. Jirou stopped. Naruto's wounds started to bleed more as he gathered all the chakra he could. Jirou stood frozen in his tracks, terrified. Sasuke laid on the ground and watched the boy he thought he knew. The air was heavy and Jirou had a hard time breathing. Naruto opened his eyes; they were still blue but his pupils were slit. He looked at Jirou who suddenly were joined by three missing-nins; two from Cloud and one from Sand.

"We watched, and decided you could use a hand", the Sand shinobi said.

"Just kill him!" Jirou said.

Naruto closed his eyes and then opened them. They were blood red.

"YOUJUTSU: SADONDESU!"(9) he screamed.

A rush of air, then the wind started swirl around the missing-nins. The wind increased as streaks of black appeared from thin air. Sasuke could only stare in awe and fear. The streaks turned into claws, and surrounded the four shinobis. They disappeared from view and Sasuke wondered what was happening. Then he heard them scream. When it cleared, he saw their corpses. He lifted himself on an elbow and just turned his eyes right on time to see Naruto collapse.

* * *

Kakashi came running. He stopped by Sasuke and said: 

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, check Naruto!" Sasuke said with panic in his voice.

Kakashi did not know how he got to Naruto's side; all he knew was that it did not take long. For a second he thought Naruto was dead. He gently examined Naruto and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Naruto breathing. But he could not relax. The boy had suffered chakra exhaustion; severe chakra exhaustion. He lifted the blonde up gently in his arms, and looked at the corpses. He had felt a large amount of chakra being release, some of it Kyuubi's. And the Jutsu's name… Sasuke came to Kakashi and said:

"Is he alright?"

"He suffered chakra exhaustion", Kakashi said. "Explain how the last Jutsu he performed looked like."

"Big black claws formed from the air. The air seemed surround the missing-nins. Then the claws hid them from my view and when the claws disappeared the shinobis were dead."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. Sasuke coughed and fell down on one knee. The Copy-nin saw Sasuke had suffered some chakra exhaustion as well. Kakashi hoisted Sasuke up on his back and walked to the house. Tsuki and Taiyou, together with Sakura, waited at them. Taiyou and Sakura gasped as they saw the boys. Kakashi went to their borrowed room and asked for warm water, bandages and some healing salve if there was any. Taiyou and Sakura went to get it. Kakashi let down Sasuke on one bed and carefully put down Naruto on another. The blonde was pale, and his breathing was hitching. Kakashi took of the already destroyed shirt and winced. Deep cuts and bruises. Sakura came with warm water and towels. Sasuke tried to get up but fell back with a cry of pain.

"Sasuke", Kakashi said. "You have suffered from chakra exhaustion; you will kill yourself if you try to get up. Let Taiyou take care of you."

"Is Naruto okay?" Sasuke said as he sank down on the bed.

"I don't know yet", Kakashi said as he started cleaning the wounds. "If he is alive tomorrow, he's gonna be fine."

Sakura looked up and said:

"Is it that serious?!"

"Many people would have died by now", Kakashi said as he continued bandaging Naruto's torso.

Sasuke and Sakura looked at their sensei, and suddenly Naruto coughed. His whole body convulsed and Kakashi had to hold him down.

"What's happening?!" Sasuke screamed.

"His body reacts to the sudden and severe chakra loss" Kakashi said, "and it does not like it."

* * *

He held the boy trapped to the bed and tried not to burst out in tears. Soon Naruto stopped and calmed down. Kakashi felt the burning chakra of the great demon soothe the wounds and filling Naruto with the chakra he needed. Kakashi did not like the Kyuubi but thanked the fox right now, because that chakra helped Naruto survive. 

Sasuke looked at Naruto and Kakashi while Taiyou cleaned his wounds. The blonde rested peacefully now and Kakashi rubbed his eye. The Jounin looked exhausted by just looking at his students. Taiyou soon left and took a shaken Sakura with her. Tsuki bowed and left.

"Kakashi-sensei", Sasuke said.

"Yes?"

"What happened between you two after that accident?" Sasuke said referring to when they turned to chibis.

Kakashi looked at Sasuke. Would Naruto mind? No. besides, the Uchiha was not stupid and oblivious as Sakura.

"Iruka and I are together", Kakashi said. "And Naruto is now living with us. We've moved to a house in the outskirts of Konoha, not so far from your home Sasuke."

Sasuke looked surprised, then he said:

"That's why he so happy…"

"What?"

"That's why he has become so happy", Sasuke said. "I always thought that the grin he always had didn't fit on him. It was fake, right?"

"Yeah", Kakashi said.

"And I failed to notice…"

"Sasuke, I failed to notice as well" Kakashi said. "Iruka knew. He was the only one."

"How strong is Naruto?" the Uchiha said.

"Strong enough to become a Jounin", Kakashi said. "He could have become a Jounin long ago."

"Why didn't he become one then?"

"That's classified", Kakashi said seriously. "If you want to know, ask him. But only he can decide whether to answer you or not, since it rests a law over that subject."

"A law?"

"Yes. A law you youngsters don't know", Kakashi said. "Now rest; you'll need it for when we're gonna visit Inari."

Sasuke groaned and the Copy-nin laughed.

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes. He turned his head slightly and faced Sasuke. Their beds were hardly two metres from each other. Sasuke chose that moment to stir and blink sleepily. He felt he was watched and turned his head towards Naruto. 

"Hey", Naruto said.

"Welcome back to the world of the livings", Sasuke said.

"How long was I out?"

"Two days", Sasuke said and slowly sat up.

Naruto got up on his elbows before all of his strength left him. He fell back on the bed and moaned. Sasuke got up and limped the few feet to Naruto's bed before collapsing on it.

"Ow", Sasuke muttered.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna ask some questions, and I don't wanna shout them out to you", Sasuke said.

"W-What kind of questions?" Naruto said.

"First one: why didn't you become a Jounin if you had the knowledge and strength to become one?" Sasuke said and Naruto winced.

'_Leave Sasuke to ask the most painful questions. I guess it's his nature…'_

"It is complicated and I don't want to know what happens if I tell you about me", Naruto said.

"Why not?"

"I have a secret that is… hard to bear. It would be hard for you to understand as well."

"Second: what is that secret?" Sasuke said with a voice that was completely serious.

Naruto looked at Sasuke for a while and then said:

"Are you sure you want to know it?"

Sasuke nodded and got in a more comfortable position, where they faced each other. Naruto took a deep breath, slowly released it before saying:

"You know the story about the Yondaime and Kyuubi?"

"A bit", Sasuke said and frowned.

"Thirteen years ago, Kyuubi came to Konoha and started destroying the village. He went berserk, and killed many people. Here the story says that Yondaime stopped and killed the Kyuubi sacrificing his own life."

"That I know", Sasuke said.

"That thing that Yondaime killed Kyuubi is… lies", Naruto said and Sasuke let his surprise show. "There is no way a human could kill a beast like Kyuubi. You see, Kyuubi is just a shit load of chakra and a soul. If Yondaime killed him, the body would have regenerated, for who can destroy chakra forever? Anyway, Yondaime had to seal the Kyuubi."

"Seal the Kyuubi? How?"

"Shiki Fuujin", Naruto said. "You call upon the Shinigami that will take whatever soul you wish, but you must give your soul to the Shinigami afterwards. A powerful Jutsu but the user loses his life. Yondaime did that. He sealed the beast. The tricky question before was into what. They needed something that could keep Kyuubi's powers inside. No adults."

"Why no adults?" Sasuke said.

"They would not be able to handle Kyuubi and would have died, setting the beast free", Naruto said. "Yondaime needed someone who could hold against the powers of the strongest of the demons. Someone who not had time to use their chakra. He needed an infant."

Sasuke stared at the blonde. The blonde shifted and shivered. Sasuke let the blanket slid up over Naruto to cover more of the blonde's skin.

"Thanks. Anyway, he needed an infant. Not just any infant, he needed someone that was born on the same day. The 10th October. And the only infant born on that day was… me."

Silence.

Sasuke stared at the blonde, who hid his face.

* * *

Naruto waited. He waited for the scramble as Sasuke would try to run away, or the scream. Neither came. He looked up. Sasuke looked at him, eyes wide-open. Then the eyes returned to their normal size and the raven said: 

"Was that so hard?"

Naruto blinked. He must have heard wrong. Yeah, wrong. Sasuke would never say so. Or would he?

"You don't hate me?" Naruto said.

"Dobe", Sasuke said and hit him lightly on the arm.

"Teme", Naruto growled and then stopped.

The two teenagers looked at each other and then laughed. Naruto cried as well. Sasuke gave the blonde a awkward hug and they looked at each other for a long while.

"We better rest", Sasuke said. "We're gonna visit Inari tomorrow before we leave."

Naruto nodded. Sasuke looked over to his bed and groaned.

"It felt like I just came from there", he muttered. "No way I can go back."

"This bed is big enough for three people", Naruto said. "Sleep here, and save some of that energy."

Sasuke did not argue, instead he just fell asleep.

* * *

Kakashi walked in and found them like that. He knew Sakura would freak out, and wanted to spare everyone that yell and gently picked up Sasuke. He noticed the dried tears on Naruto's face. Sasuke shifted and Kakashi carried him to the other bed. He tucked in his raven-haired student in the bed and then went over to Naruto. He checked the wounds and was not surprise to see that most of them were healed. Naruto shifted and Kakashi made himself comfortable while trying to remember Icha Icha Paradise.

* * *

Naruto walked slowly to Inari and his family. Sasuke had the same tempo. Sakura had walked before hand and Kakashi walked behind the boys. Naruto yawned and said: 

"I've been sleeping for over two days, yet it feels like I've not been asleep on a week."

Kakashi sighed. Sasuke looked at the blonde and said:

"I wanna sleep as well, but if I have to suffer so must you."

"Teme!" Naruto said.

"Dobe!" Sasuke answered.

They continued their friendly argument until they reached Tazuna's house. Inari came out to greet them and hugged Naruto around his waist. It brought a sharp intake of breath and the small boy got worried and asked:

"Are you hurt, Naruto-niichan?"

"Just a bit sore", Naruto said. "Just be a bit careful with the hugs alright?"

The boy nodded and led Naruto to greet Tsunami and Tazuna. Sasuke turned to Kakashi as the Copy-nin spoke:

"Did you get your answers?"

"I'll say one word", Sasuke said.

Kakashi waited.

"Kyuubi."

Kakashi widened his eye and Sasuke looked at his sensei. Then he walked after Naruto. The Copy-nin followed and smiled a bit. Sasuke knew about Kyuubi, yet he did not hold any grudge against the blonde?

* * *

Inari wanted to show Naruto every bit of their house, since it had changed quite some bit after they had left. Sakura latched onto Sasuke and asked if _her_ Sasuke-kun was alright already. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. He gritted his teeth, shrugged off Sakura and proceeded to ask Tsunami how she had been since they left. Kakashi went into a discussion with Tazuna and they could hear Inari's happy voice through the house. 

They ate dinner during a lot of catching up. They heard about their failure at the Chuunin exam and Tsunami scolded the Copy-nin about that they were way too young for that. They mentioned nothing about Sasuke trying to get to Orochimaru and he was happy about that. It had been really embarrassing for him. Naruto listened rather than talking. Sasuke ate his food and added his thoughts sometimes. Sakura talked. A lot. Too much. Naruto had never noticed really how high-pitched her voice was and inwardly winced. She was too loud. Oh well. He did not want to get shouted out so he kept silent. Tsunami and Sakura picked away the dishes and started cleaning. Naruto leaned back and closed his eyes. Sasuke looked at Tazuna and Kakashi as the former tried to get the Copy-nin show his face. No idea, team 7 had already tried.

* * *

Kakashi sighed a bit as they walked towards Konoha. Sakura was skipping in front of them, eager to come back and continue her training with Tsunade. Jiraiya had said that he would train Naruto and Kakashi had made up his mind about training Sasuke. He looked down at the sleeping bundle in his arms. Naruto had fallen asleep on a _chair_. That spoke volumes about how tired he was. Sasuke was walking next to Kakashi, and stumbling every few step. If this continued Kakashi would soon have to carry two of his students. As on cue, Sasuke fell on the ground. _'What have I done to deserve this?'_ Kakashi thought. _'I'm a shinobi, not a mule.'_

* * *

They made camp when the sun was going down close to the road. Kakashi gently sat down the two boys and took a sigh of relief. The boys were not heavy but Kakashi was not used not being able to use his arms when jumping in trees. Sasuke stirred and looked up at his sensei. 

"You rest" Kakashi said. "I'm not gonna carry you tomorrow."

The raven did not complain. Naruto shifted a bit and then settled down.

* * *

Team 7 could be seen from the Konoha gates as the morning mist laid down. Sakura was walking first with a frown on her face as she one every ten seconds glanced back at Sasuke and Naruto. The boys walked side by side, silently speaking. Their sensei walked last. 

They walked through the village and came to the Hokage Tower. When they had reported their mission and received their money, Tsunade dismissed Sakura and Kakashi but wanted to make sure Naruto and Sasuke were fine. Kakashi lingered behind though.

"You were lucky", she scolded them. "Normal people would have died."

"Then it's good that they're not normal people then", Kakashi said.

"You are going to rest for a couple of days before I even consider of sending you on a mission", Tsunade said. "And no training!"

The two boys groaned and Kakashi gently pushed them out before they would do something they would later regret.

* * *

Sasuke went back home with a small 'Later'. Naruto and Kakashi walked to their house. 

"Do you think Iruka will be home?" Naruto said.

"Yes I do think so, why?" Kakashi said.

"He's gonna kill me", Naruto said.

"I'll help him."

"Kakashi-sensei!" was Naruto's whine.

"Naruto." Something in the Copy-nin's voice made Naruto stop. He turned to Kakashi who continued: "As Tsunade-sama said, you were lucky. If Kyuubi had not lent you chakra, you would have been dead now."

"I know", Naruto said. "Don't tell Iruka-sensei that; I don't wanna give him a reason to kill me."

Kakashi looked at his 'son'. He looked around the area; still too early for anyone to walk in their neighbourhood. He squatted down and enveloped Naruto in a tight hug. The tension in his body slowly melted away as he let his worries die down.

"Don't you ever, _ever_ scare me like that again!" Kakashi said. "If you do, I'll kill you myself and Iruka has to dig up your body to kill you again, got that?!"

Naruto nodded and expected Kakashi to pull away. The man did not. Instead he lifted Naruto up, just like he used to do in their new home and started walking. Naruto buried his face in Kakashi's shoulder and closed his eyes.

* * *

Iruka had been nervous. No, scratch that. Not nervous, _terrified_. Both his lover and 'son' had been gone for one week. One week! The brunette paced around the living room. Today was the first day of the vacation for the whole academy. Everyone was happy for the break, except for Iruka. _'They were supposed to come yesterday!' _Iruka thought and bit his nail. He was ready to strangle someone when the door opened. He looked up and suck in a breath.

* * *

Kakashi stood in the doorway, waving. Or trying to. He was doing pretty good even though he had a sleeping Naruto in his arms. Iruka ran forward and gently hugged his lover. He felt Naruto stir and looked down on his boy. 

"Hey there", Iruka said gently.

"Hi", was Naruto's mumbling.

"Welcome home", the brunette said.

Naruto smiled and from his position he only got to hug Iruka's neck but that was just fine with him.

"Let's get you to bed", Kakashi said to the blonde before taking off his sandals.

Following Kakashi, Iruka noted some alarming signs:

1. Naruto had his sleeping clothes on, and a spare pair of Sasuke's shorts. His sandals were nowhere to be seen. How did THAT happen?

2. He had felt bandages on Naruto's torso.

3. Just the fact that he let Kakashi carry him like that on the streets were alarming enough.

Kakashi put the blonde down and just pulled the blankets over him. Naruto was asleep within seconds. Iruka, after checking Naruto, dragged Kakashi out from the blonde's room before asking:

"What happened?"

"Severe chakra exhaustion and some minor damages", Kakashi said.

"WHAT?!"

"Iruka, your voice", Kakashi said. "We encountered missing-nins. Sasuke suffered the same."

Iruka sat down and put his head in his hands. Kakashi sat down and said:

"Tsunade-sama checked them both, they're gonna be fine. They needs a bit rest, that's all."

Iruka leaned onto Kakashi and nodded. They got ready for bed, but as Kakashi came out from the bathroom he found Iruka looking at Naruto from the doorway.

"Iruka?"

"I just want to make sure he's alright", Iruka said.

"I'm alright", Naruto answered, shocking two shinobis.

Iruka walked, or rather ran at a calm speed, to Naruto's bed and sat down. Naruto sat up and Iruka hugged the boy again. Kakashi came in and sat down as well.

"I was worried", Iruka said. "So worried."

"But I'm fine", Naruto said. "I'm alive; that's the main point right?"

Iruka looked at the blonde and sighed. The boy was right. Then he looked at Naruto's clothing and Naruto answered the unasked question:

"My old clothes was kinda destroyed."

"Destroyed??"

"They had strong Jutsus", Naruto said. "Besides, it was only my clothes."

The brunette sighed again. He absently stroke Naruto's hair. The blonde plopped back on the bed and yawned. He was tucked in and Iruka took one last look at him before the two adults went to bed. Somehow the brunette had the feelings that this was only the beginning of his worries…

* * *

(1) Flame Type: Powerful Fireball Technique 

(2) Flame Type: Mythical Fire Flower Technique

(3) Water Type: Water Dragon Blast Technique

(4) Water Prison Technique

(5) Rock-Paper-Scissor

(6) kid

(7) Flame Type: Leaping Flames (this jutsu is my creation)

(8) Flame Type: Red Flame (this one is my creation as well)

(9) Black Art: Sudden Death (mine, haha)

* * *

So chapter 3 is here! YAY! I'll let you vote for the Naruto-pairing one more chapter. If you want I can write that chapter slowly so you can vote for your favourite... If anyone has forgotten, or does not know, the pairing just check at the top where you see the results and then you know! Please, read and review what you think about it!

* * *

Until next time, 

Ja,

Tiro


	4. Chapter 4

**The Chibi accident and Kakashi's discovery**

Hiya, Tiro here. The results over the yaoi-pairing so far:

SasuNaru: **10**

ShinoNaru: **4**

NejiNaru: **3**

GaaNaru: **6**

Hey, Sasuke is leading. If anyone wants someone else you better vote because I will soon start with the pairing you readers choose. Even if I don't want Sasuke. Nothing wrong with the guy but I wanna write something less common. In this fic, Naruto and Sasuke get closer but it is not yaoi. They are more like brothers, and if the votes show that Sasuke will not be Naruto's love they will have this brother-relationship. SO IF YA WANT SOMEONE ELSE THAN SASUKE VOTE GODDAMMIT!! Everyone got that? Okay? Good, on with the story:

**Ch****. 4: Confrontation**

Shikamaru stared as Chouji and Ino sparred. It had been about a month since the accident. The accident that made team 7 to small children. Ino had found it cute; Chouji found it strange but Shikamaru did not share his confusion with them. Naruto… he had recognized them because of their chakra. Normally a five-year old child would not know what chakra was. Yet, Naruto…

The lazy shinobi looked up in the sky. He had always had this strange feeling about the blonde. He knew that Naruto was not an idiot. Naruto hid something. And he has hidden it for too long. Shikamaru sighed.

'_Troublesome blondes.'_

---

Naruto sneezed. Iruka looked up on the boy from his grading papers and said:

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah", Naruto said as he rubbed his nose. "Where's Kakashi-sensei?"

"Trying to find that pervert book I guess", Iruka said.

"_Still_? He's been searching for hours!" Naruto complained. "He promised he would help me with my training."

"Tsunade-sama said no training, why did Kakashi agree??"

Naruto shrunk in his chair as he looked at the fuming brunette. _'Never make Iruka-sensei angry'_, the blonde thought.

"It's not hard training", Naruto said. "Senbon practice, I'm not so good at it."

"Naruto…" Iruka said.

"Besides, he said only for a half hour", Naruto said, "no longer."

In the same moment Kakashi came in. Iruka muttered and returned to his grading. The Copy-nin looked nervously on his lover and decided to make a retreat. He took Naruto out in the garden to the training area. They practiced aim for a half hour. Kakashi continued but Naruto sat by the porch and looked on. His body had not recovered from the chakra loss so he took it easy. He yawned and already missed the training. He decided to go back inside and help Iruka with dinner. Too bad for him that Iruka would not allow him even to cook. His orders were:

"Sit by the table and wait!"

Not wanting to aggravate the already fuming Iruka, Naruto quickly sat down and kept quiet. The blonde looked on as his former teacher and 'mom' cooked one of his favourite meals; fried rice and chicken with dango as a dessert. Naruto smiled a bit as the cooking seemed to relax Iruka. The blonde got up and stretched. His limbs ached and he was a bit sore.

"Naruto?" Iruka said. "Come here."

The boy walked over to Iruka, confusion in his eyes. Iruka looked away from the food that needed to be left alone for a while and studied his boy. Naruto had rings under his eyes, a sign that pain had kept him up longer than necessary. The brunette gently enveloped Naruto in a hug and they stood still. Naruto's arms and hands was a warm comfort on Iruka's back.

"Iruka? Naruto?"

They both turned around to see Kakashi. He had no mask and was smiling slightly to them. He walked forward and planted a kiss on Iruka's cheek. He gently let a hand run through Naruto's hair. In silence they made the table and sat down. Iruka and Kakashi talked about the academy while Naruto ate. He was hungry and the smell made him drool a bit. After all, he had refused both breakfast and lunch and was now starving.

---

Sasuke had eaten dinner in a restaurant. He had no energy to cook so he went out instead. Unlucky for him, he met team 10. Ino glomped his arm and started chatting. He was annoyed. Chouji continued to eat and Shikamaru… well, he was just Shikamaru. Asuma just lit another cigarette while telling Ino to let the poor Uchiha eat. Sasuke was grateful to the Jounin, as Ino had let him go. But he did end up by their table. Ino tried to make a good impression to taunt Sakura later on. Sasuke had more or less ignored her. When Ino was busy scolding Chouji Shikamaru bent closer to the Uchiha and said:

"Have you noticed something different with Naruto lately?"

Sasuke nearly choked on his food. Shikamaru did not know about Kyuubi, did he?? No… Naruto had behaved different, so it was only natural if Shikamaru found out. He may be lazy but he had a sharp brain.

"Different?" Sasuke said.

"Yeah", Shikamaru said.

Sasuke noticed Asuma listened as well. Naruto would not like if he walked around and told anyone. Instead he just shrugged and said:

"Not allowed to tell. Ask him yourself."

Shikamaru's eyes widened a bit. Uchiha Sasuke knew something, but did not tell? The said Uchiha paid for his food and quickly left. When he had left, Ino turned to them and said:

"He wasn't as fast as he usually is."

"I heard from Kakashi that both him and Naruto suffered chakra exhaustion", Asuma said.

"Isn't that dangerous?? I mean, was it like Chouji when they took Sasuke-kun back?" Ino said.

"Kakashi said they were lucky", the Jounin said and looked at his students. "You're lucky to see Sasuke up and walking that soon after chakra exhaustion. Any weaker than Sasuke had probably died."

"But you said Naruto had suffered the same", Chouji said.

"Yeah, but I never said Naruto was weaker than Sasuke", Asuma said. "I even heard the blonde kid nailed four missing-nin."

Now he got their attention. Chouji stopped eating, Ino stared and Shikamaru actually gaped. Asuma shrugged and said:

"Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura plus their client confirmed that. Sasuke nailed one missing-nin too."

"Sasuke-kun nailed one and Naruto took out four?? Where did that come from, Sasuke-kun isn't weaker than Naruto!" Ino said. Asuma cringed; now he understood the pain Kakashi suffered. Girls in love **are** loud. Ino and Sakura was the most annoying kunoichis around. Ino was a bit better than the pink-haired but became extremely childish when it came to Uchiha Sasuke.

Shikamaru had shut out Ino and Asuma long ago; instead he tried to figure out how the hell Naruto had nailed four missing-nin. He grumbled under his breath; _damn troublesome blondes_.

---

Naruto sneezed again. He rubbed his nose and frowned. Iruka looked at him again, but he just shrugged and excused himself from the table. Naruto walked to his room and fell down on the bed. He was tired, and bored. Restless even. The blonde sighed; he was going to kill something soon.

---

Sasuke walked as fast as he could back to his house. Damn Shikamaru and his questions. He grumbled under his breath as he heard a shout:

"Saaasuke-kun!"

He turned around and his pink-haired teammate came running. _'Just when you think it can't get worse. What do you have against me, Kami-sama?'_ thought the Uchiha.

"What are you doing, Sasuke-kun? Wanna go and eat some dinner?"

"No", he said and turned around. "I'm on my way home and I'm tired."

"Come on, just for a little while. I mean, we're on the same team!" Sakura complained.

"If we're on the same team, we should invite Naruto too", Sasuke said, "and I doubt he wants to."

"Why do you always include Naruto-baka?"

…

Enough is enough.

Sasuke turned around and glared at her. The kunoichi found herself stopping and suck in her breath. The said Uchiha carefully counted to ten to calm himself down before forcing out the words from gritted teeth:

"Naruto is our teammate Sakura. Got any complaints about that, drop off the team then. I can't stand when you talk like that."

"But Sasuke-kun…"

"You only care about me, and don't give a shit about Naruto. No wonder he doesn't like you." With that, Sasuke turned around and left. Sakura looked after him a while, tears welling up in her eyes. She wiped them away and quickly left. _'He is just playing hard-catched'_, she thought.

---

Sasuke fists were white. He felt his nails digging into his palms and wondered briefly if he was bleeding. He found himself walking towards Naruto's house. Kakashi had explained where they lived and the house itself if he wanted to visit. He did not know why he was going there, but anywhere else than the cold Uchiha mansion. He stopped by the door and calmed himself. He knocked twice on it and waited. A moment later it was opened by Iruka.

"Sasuke?" the brunette said.

"Sorry to bother, I wondered if Naruto was home", Sasuke said and bowed slightly.

"No need to be so polite to me", Iruka laughed and let him in. "Naruto's room is second door to the right down the hall."

Sasuke nodded and took of his sandals. He saw Kakashi in the kitchen, who sat on the counter reading a scroll. Iruka went to the kitchen and continued doing the dishes. The raven walked down the hall and looked into the second room to the right. Naruto looked up, and his eyes widened a bit when he saw Sasuke.

"Sasuke?"

"Um, hi", Sasuke said and walked in. "I don't know why I came but… do you mind?"

"Not at all", Naruto said and patted the bed. "Come in."

Sasuke walked in and sat down on the bed. He let his eyes travel through the room and smiled a bit. He had seen Naruto's apartment and let's just say it; a dump had been nicer than that place. Naruto shuffled around the scrolls and books that laid on the bed and said:

"Sorry for the mess, but I was a bit bored…" Sasuke started chuckle as Naruto moved the things. The blonde stopped and looked at Sasuke, who had started laughing. Naruto sat down and looked on as Sasuke tried to control his laughing.

"I see you find this funny", Naruto said with a raised eyebrow. "Let's see if you find this funny…"

Sasuke's head was hit by a pillow and he looked startled on Naruto. The said blonde had a smile on his face. Sasuke looked at Naruto and then said:

"Prepare yourself…"

Iruka and Kakashi heard laughter come from Naruto's room and both of them smiled. It seemed like their recovery was doing fine.

---

Shikamaru had just said goodbye to his team and was on his way home. Questions about Naruto still swam in his mind and he was soon going crazy. He wanted to yell, to bang his head against a wall or run around like a madman hoping his thoughts would be left behind but instead he just muttered under his breath as he continued home.

An abused rock and a lot of muttering later he was home. Shikamaru opened the door and was greeted by his father. He muttered a greeting and took of his sandals.

"Something wrong?" Shikaku said.

"A lot on my mind, that's all", Shikamaru said.

"Like what?"

"Just some stuff about Naruto."

"I heard from the Hokage that he and Sasuke took out some missing-nins", Shikaku said.

"Asuma said that too", the boy said and looked at his father. "There's something different about Naruto. I think he's been lying."

"Lying?" Shikaku said and got up from the table. "Lying about what?"

"Everything", Shikamaru said. "You know about the accident around a month ago?"

"When I missed the sight of three very adorable chibi shinobis?" Shikaku laughed.

"Yeah that one. Anyway… Sasuke and Sakura were acting like kids did, but Naruto…"

"What about him?"

"He knew from which clan we came from", Shikamaru said and looked to see his father's reaction. What he saw surprised him. Shikaku narrowed his eyes, then sighed and said:

"He recognized your chakra right?" Shikamaru was startled by that and could only nod.

"Naruto is not like others", Shikaku continued. "Never has, and never will. Sweet kid, I remember when he was little. It was fun seeing the Hokage being beaten in shougi by a six-year old kid."

Now Shikamaru stared. Shikaku looked at his son and said:

"Shinobis must be good at hiding the truth. In fact, Naruto may have been too good. Hopefully he stops lying to himself now; I can't wait to play shougi with him again."

Shikamaru stared after his father who went upstairs. _'Okay… what the hell did just happen??'_ Shikamaru groaned and banged his head against the closest wall. _'I'm going crazy, so troublesome…'_

---

Iruka looked in Naruto's room and smiled a bit. Sasuke laid on a spare futon, sound asleep. Naruto was curled up on the bed; one hand dangled down and was slightly touching Sasuke's outstretched hand. One blanket each covered them. Kakashi snuck his arms behind Iruka and chuckled.

"They look cute together", Kakashi said.

"You've been without Icha Icha Paradise for too long", Iruka sighed. "Don't even think of making dirty images in your mind about them."

Kakashi tightened his arms and giggled. Iruka turned around and pinched Kakashi on the nose.

"Pervert", Iruka mumbled.

"Yes, but you still love me", Kakashi said and kissed his dolphin.

"Not in front of the kids!"

"They're asleep", Kakashi whined.

"What if they wake up?" the brunette said. "Let's go to bed and no dirty thoughts!"

"Only about you", the Copy-nin said and dragged Iruka towards their bedroom.

---

Sasuke stirred and yawned. He peered one eye open and looked around. This was NOT his room. A rustle of blankets made him look up. Naruto was still asleep. He slowly sat up and draped the blanket around him. The sun was shining so it had to be morning. Naruto moved again, but did not wake up. Sasuke got up from the futon and exited the room. The blanket was still tightly wrapped around him when he entered the kitchen.

"Good morning Sasuke."

He looked up and was met by Iruka's smile. Sasuke said 'Good morning' back and then stood a bit uncertain by the doorway.

"Want some breakfast?" the brunette asked.

"If it's not too much trouble", Sasuke said.

"In one condition", Iruka said and Sasuke looked at him. "Go and wake up Naruto."

Sasuke nodded and went back. He let go of the blanket on the futon and stretched. He poked Naruto's shoulder and the blonde opened his eyes slightly.

"Iruka-sensei wants you up so we can eat", Sasuke said.

"Okay", Naruto said sleepily and sat up. He staggered up from the bed and stretched just as Sasuke had done only a few moments earlier. They both entered the kitchen that now smelled of breakfast. Iruka smiled at them and Kakashi dragged himself in.

"You look like hell", Sasuke commented.

"Not a word", Kakashi grumbled. "I hate mornings…"

The three other shinobis shook their heads at the Copy-nin and he continued grumbling.

Sasuke left the house around ten. Naruto waved him off and then returned into the house. Sasuke looked up in the sky but cringed as he heard two voices:

"Saaaasuke-kun!!"

Ino and Sakura came running while arguing with each other.

"Sasuke-kun, want to go and eat breakfast?" Ino said.

"No way, he's going with me!" Sakura yelled.

"Shut up forehead-girl!"

"What did you say, Ino-pig??"

He watched on as they argued and then they turned to him.

"You want to eat breakfast with me, right?" Sakura said.

"No, he wants to eat with me!" Ino said.

"I've already eaten breakfast with Naruto", Sasuke said, "so give it a rest and leave me in peace."

With that, he walked towards his house, leaving two very confused kunoichis behind. Inwardly, he was laughing his head off.

---

Shikamaru yawned as he walked towards the training grounds. He was a bit early, but he needed to do some serious thinking. His father's words had confused him to no end. He was staring up in the sky so he was startled when he bumped with someone. He fell back on his rear and looked at the one he bumped into. Naruto stared back at him.

"Oh, hi Shikamaru", Naruto said and got up. "Gomen(1), I was lost in my thoughts."

"Don't worry, so was I", Shikamaru said and got up. "Hey, I wanted to speak to you."

"Hmm, can it wait to tonight?" Naruto said. "I'm in a hurry."

"Sure", Shikamaru said.

"How about eight at your house?"

"Yeah, that's fine", the brunette said.

"See you then!" And with that, Naruto was off. Shikamaru looked after the blonde; already now he could se the difference. Few people had met Naruto the latest month, and this was Shikamaru's first meeting with the said blonde since the accident. The brunette shrugged and went to the training ground. He was going to get his answers tonight…

---

Kakashi looked at the receipt, then at Naruto.

"No."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto said sharply. "You're 27 years old and can't cook properly!"

"I cooked when you were chibis!" Kakashi whined.

"Yeah, you warmed the food. And how hard is spaghetti??"

"It's hard!"

"Don't tell me you burned spaghetti", Naruto said.

"It was an accident", Kakashi said.

"I don't believe you", Naruto said. "You're going to learn to cook properly or else I'll burn every Icha Icha Paradise you own!"

Kakashi looked at him and nodded miserably. The blonde lit up and said:

"How about we start with the lunch? I'm sure Iruka-sensei would appreciate it."

One hour later:

"Noooo! You're doing it wrong!" Naruto said.

"How was I supposed to know that noodles are warmed in water?!"

"That's common sense, sensei!"

Kakashi pouted and crossed his arms. Naruto wanted to dang his head in the table, but instead he threw a book in Kakashi's face.

"Kakashi-sensei, you really want to make Iruka-sensei sad?" Naruto said in a sweet voice, knowing Kakashi would fall for it. "He would probably be very proud if you learned how to cook a bit more advanced stuff than spaghetti."

Kakashi looked at his student and gave in.

Another hour later:

"It was THIS easy?"

"Yes sensei", Naruto mumbled from the table. "Now do lunch."

A very happy Kakashi made the last things to the lunch and was kinda proud over himself. He had made noodles with fried vegetables and the left over chicken from the day before. Naruto had even succeeding into teaching him a dessert; a simple chocolate mousse. Kakashi looked at his student, and giggled. The poor boy must have exhausted himself with all the yelling and scolding. Kakashi lifted Naruto up and carried him to his bedroom. He let the boy rest a bit as he made the table and fixing the rest. The front door opened and Iruka called out:

"Tadaima(2)!"

"Okaerinasai(3)!" Kakashi called back.

Iruka came in and then stopped. He looked at the nicely prepared lunch and then turned to Kakashi. The said shinobi scratched his head and said:

"Naruto thought it was about time that I learned how to cook."

"You made this?" Iruka said.

"Yeah, but you don't wanna know what I succeeded in burning", Kakashi said and scratched his head again.

"And where is Naruto?"

"Well, he kinda got tired from yelling on me. He's resting", Kakashi said. "Want to wake him up?"

"Just for eating lunch", Iruka said.

Kakashi went to get the said boy. Iruka looked at the lunch once more, and smiled.

---

Shikamaru was half asleep when Asuma was finished with Ino. Chouji was eating his chips and stretched his legs now and then. The lazy shinobi had drifted off and his head had fallen on Chouji's shoulder. The said boy had merely looked at his friend, and then let him rest.

"Shikamaru!" Ino's voice woke him up and the lazy shinobi looked at his blonde teammate.

"What?" he asked as he pushed himself up.

"You were asleep all this time?!" Man, her voice could be load at some moments.

"Troublesome", he muttered under his breath and Chouji stuffed some more chips in his mouth to hide his laughter. "So what if I was?"

"That's unfair. Asuma-sensei!"

"I never said he couldn't sleep", Asuma shrugged. "I did say he could pay attention if he wanted to, but clearly he didn't want to."

"Troublesome", the brunette said again and stretched.

Ino was fuming and looked at her teammates.

"This would never have happened if I was with Sasuke-kun!" she yelled.

"Always Sasuke", Shikamaru mumbled into Chouji's ear. "I start to feel sorry for the guy."

Chouji hid his laugh behind a series of coughs. Ino snorted and left the training ground. Asuma looked after her, then turned to the boys and said:

"How about some lunch, to give her time to cool down?"

"Yeah!" Chouji said and bounced up. Shikamaru got up and shrugged.

They went to the same restaurant they had been to the day before, and saw Sasuke sit there. He was spacing out, untouched food in front of him. Asuma nudged the boy and said:

"Can we sit here?"

Sasuke looked at them and nodded. Chouji ordered and the other two sat back. Sasuke seemed to register his food and picked up his chopsticks. Shikamaru took notice that he was careful in his movements and said:

"How are you?"

"I've been better", Sasuke said, "but I'll live."

The brunette nodded and Sasuke continued eating. Their food arrived and Asuma and Shikamaru quickly got their share before Chouji could devour it all. Soon Sasuke spaced out again, and this time Chouji nudged him and said:

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Hmm? Yeah, just a bit tired", Sasuke said and looked at his food. "Besides, I'm not really hungry."

"Then why are you here?" Asuma said, puzzled.

"I had no energy to cook and I need food to survive", Sasuke said and picked on the noodles.

Both Asuma and Shikamaru looked at the raven-haired boy. The said shinobi frowned at the food and ordered some tea instead. He stared out the window as the boys in team 10 ate.

---

Naruto was in his room after the lunch. He. Was. Bored. Sooooo bored. Still a lot time to kill before he would go to Shikamaru. He banged his head against his pillow. He should have known that keeping secrets from Nara Shikamaru was very much **impossible**. He looked out the window and wondered briefly; if he told Shikamaru the truth, well not about Kyuubi he hoped but the rest, maybe he could play shougi with Shikaku again. That would be nice.

---

In another part of Konoha a certain Nara got a bad feeling.

---

Naruto had started counting steps he made in the room. Boring yes, but he had run out of ideas. Did I mention at the same time he was reading a book at the same time? Yes, he was bored. Naruto finally snapped and threw himself on the bed. Normally he would train or something like that but he was forbidden to and his body was not too happy about the idea of beating himself to a bloody pulp. He looked out the window again and sighed. May as well take a nap…

---

Sasuke finished his tea and paid. He made a quick exit and Asuma looked after him. Shikamaru did as well. Asuma felt Shikamaru's eyes on him and said:

"Something on your mind Shikamaru?"

"I just wondered… Sasuke seems like he's changed as well."

"Well, I don't know about you but I see that as a good sign", Asuma said.

"Yeah, maybe", Shikamaru said.

"Hopefully he teach Ino and Sakura that he's not interested in them", the Jounin said.

"They're too thick-headed to realize that", Shikamaru snorted.

"Don't say that to them", Asuma said. "They need to grow up by their own strength."

"Troublesome…"

Asuma laughed at Shikamaru and Chouji looked at them both. He had heard their conversation and got curious as well. No that he would say that aloud, since it would make Shikamaru and Asuma to think that he was ill. He did what he did best, and continued eating.

---

Naruto looked at the clock. Nearly six p.m. he yawned and stretched on the bed. He got up and went to the kitchen. Kakashi stood by the sink, adding some salt to whatever he was cooking. He turned around to see Naruto stand there and staring at him.

"You said I needed to practice!" Kakashi said.

"What happened to Iruka-sensei if he let you cook two times in one day?"

"I knocked him out…?" Kakashi said.

"You didn't knock me out, but it was close", Iruka said and walked in.

"I didn't mean to drop the book in your head!" the Copy-nin whined.

The brunette rolled his eyes and Naruto giggled. Then he remembered his purpose and said:

"I'm going to Shikamaru at eight tonight."

"Shikamaru?" Iruka said.

"Mm, he said he needed to talk with me", Naruto said.

"Just as long as you don't overwork yourself", Kakashi said, "or else me, Iruka and Tsunade will probably kill you."

"I hear ya", Naruto muttered.

Iruka looked at Naruto, then he sat down by the table and winked the blonde over. Naruto sat down on a chair next to Iruka. The said shinobi looked at him and said:

"Do you think Shikamaru knows?"

"He knows I've been acting different", Naruto said. "I guess he discovered my lie."

"But not about _him_?" Kakashi said.

Naruto shook his head and the both adults nodded.

The blonde was walking down the street around a quarter to eight. He looked at the shops that were closing and then up at the sky. The glares he was given seemed to have slowly disappeared. Now even a few of the people on the streets smiled at him. Naruto smiled a tiny smile at that thought. He shook his head when he had reached Shikamaru's house. He knocked on the door and waited.

A moment later it was opened by a woman. She smiled at him and called on Shikamaru while inviting him in. Shikamaru came down and said:

"Hey."

"Hey", Naruto said back as he took off his sandals. "I don't have much time on me, since Iruka-sensei keeps whining I need my rest."

"Iruka?"

"Yeah, I live with him now", Naruto said and Shikamaru stopped.

"Y-you live with him?" the lazy shinobi asked.

"Yeah…", Naruto said. "I'll explain to you."

They sat down in Shikamaru's room and Naruto shifted around before he looked at the Nara boy.

"Okaaay", Naruto said. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything", Shikamaru said. "Why did you lie about yourself?"

"It was easier than the truth", Naruto said. "A bit complicated."

"What was complicated?"

"A thing many doesn't know about?"

"What's that?" Shikamaru demanded to know.

"Man, you're like Sasuke", the blonde whined. "Do I need to say it?"

"Yes, or I'll nag on you until you speak up, damn troublesome blonde."

Naruto had to laugh a bit at the image of Shikamaru 'nag' at him.

"Don't laugh at my expensive", Shikamaru muttered.

"Alright, I can tell you. But…"

"But what?" an irritated brunette said.

"Just don't try to kill me", Naruto said with a serious voice and Shikamaru straightened up.

With a quiet voice, Naruto re-told the history of the Kyuubi and dropped the bomb abruptly that he was the host of Kyuubi. Shikamaru stared at the blonde for a long time.

"You're the host of Kyuubi?" he finally said.

Naruto nodded and looked away. Suddenly he was tackled by the Nara boy and they tumbled down on the floor. Shikamaru settled himself on top and said:

"Man, that's _all_??"

"Wha--?"

"Did you really think I would try to kill you just because you have the Kyuubi? I don't like that thing, but you're not him. You're you, you're just Naruto"

Shikamaru jumped off him and Naruto sat up. The Nara boy was grinning and said:

"Dad said if you had time, he wanted play shougi with you. Let's go."

Naruto could only follow after Shikamaru, happiness bubbling in his chest. Shikamaru did not hate him. That was a start, a good start. They came down to the living room and Shikaku sat on the floor studying a scroll. He looked up when they entered and smiled. Naruto suddenly grinned and the both Nara men felt a chill down their spine.

One hour later:

"Again??"

Shikaku banged his head down while Shikamaru stared. Naruto had won for the fifth time in a row. The said blonde smiled and scratched his head while saying:

"I'm a bit rusty…"

"You're better than me, so shut up!" Shikaku said and tore his hair. "It's not fair!"

Shikamaru bit his lip to not laugh out loud. This was going to be fun…

---

Iruka looked at the clock and Kakashi said:

"Just because you look at it, doesn't mean Naruto will come home any faster."

"I'm just a bit worried about his health", Iruka said.

"He's allowed to start training again tomorrow", Kakashi said. "That means Tsunade-sama agrees that he's healthy enough. We're even gonna start doing missions tomorrow."

Iruka looked hard at his grey-haired lover and the Copy-nin continued:

"Only D-ranks for a while, letting Naruto and Sasuke train a bit more so they regain their strength."

Iruka nodded his approval and returned to that damn grading.

"Iruka?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you doing grading on your vacation?" Kakashi carefully asked.

"Because I didn't do them before **because** of my worry for you and Naruto", Iruka said with a pencil in his mouth.

Kakashi made a little 'Aha' and returned to his book. Iruka glanced at the clock again; already ten. The door suddenly opened and Naruto came in.

"Sorry I'm late", he said. "Shikaku-san insisted on shougi and he refused to stop until he won at least more than once."

"Did you beat him?" Kakashi said and looked up form the book.

"9 to me, and 2 to him", Naruto grinned. "And now I'm dead tired."

The both males looked at him. Well, not exactly looked. Kakashi stared with slack jaw on the blonde and Iruka's pencil froze over the papers as he blinked several times. Naruto looked at them and said:

"What? I'm a good player, so what?"

"To win against Nara Shikaku 9 times is a miracle", Kakashi said.

"I won for the first time over him when I was seven", Naruto shrugged and a thump could be heard. When he looked up, Kakashi had dropped the book he held and Iruka actually spread ink over a paper.

"You act like it's the most alien thing that's ever happened", Naruto said. "I got lucky when I played with him for the first time."

Iruka quickly set up a new paper and Kakashi coughed and then said that Naruto should go to bed. The said blonde shrugged again and walked to his room, throwing a 'goodnight' over his shoulder.

---

Shikamaru looked at the ceiling in his room. He had laughed quite a bit at his so called 'genius'-dad, since he was no genius against Uzumaki Naruto. Shikamaru started counting the cracks in the ceiling in lack of nothing better to do. He hated nights like this; the nights when his brain refused to shut down. His mind was working overdrive and it gave him a headache.

---

Naruto looked at the teacup he had stretched out to reach. Before he even had touched it, it had cracked. His hand was frozen a mere inches from the cup, his face a bit pale. He was not a big believer in gossip and stuff like that, but the few times it happened it had been indeed bad. He looked around and swallowed. It was morning, the sun was shining and everything pointed to a good day. So why the hell was he feeling so anxious?

* * *

(1) Sorry

(2) I'm home

(3) Welcome back

* * *

I know, this chapter is shorter! Sorry, I was lazy and I couldn't figure out what more to write. Buuut, I will try really hard to do next chapter longer! I got no idea what to write right now, but I will probably introduce fights, even though I suck writing them. I'll try my best and make you guys happy. Please vote, because soon it will be decided who will be Naruto's love.And I will introduce a new enemy because I have this chapter and the former chapter written that something is about to happen. Small hints here and there you know. Anyway, vote for who will be the lucky one, and I'll see you next time!!

Ja,

Tiro


	5. Chapter 5

**The Chibi accident and Kakashi's discovery**

Hiya, Tiro here. The results over the yaoi-pairing:

ShinoNaru: 4

NejiNaru: 4

GaaNaru: 9

Just so you know, I've had so many people requesting for not another SasuNaru so I've removed that yaoi-pairing now. That's why it isn't there anymore. Sorry all SasuNaru fans, but I got a fic where I was planning making a SasuNaru pairing so be patient with me and please don't kill me! Gaara is the lucky winner in this fic. This chapter will probably not much romance between them, maybe some flashbacks I've made up. Who knows? Read and find out.

"Blah" Talking

'_Blah' _Thinking or Naruto talking to Kyuubi

'**Blah'** Kyuubi talking

**

* * *

**

**Ch. 5: Death will come**

Naruto let his eyes linger on the broken cup a few more moments before running out the door to the training grounds. First day he was allowed to train or do missions after his chakra exhaustion. The blonde had a bad feeling about this.

-

Sasuke was walking down the streets, unconsciously rubbing his arms. It was a sunny day and yet he was freezing? The raven-haired boy looked up at the sky and shuddered. It lingered something in the air…

-

Shikamaru looked up from his shougi board just to see a cup on the table crack. He frowned and stood up. That cup was new; no way would it break just like that. He looked at it for a long time; somehow he felt that he was not gonna like this day at all.

Suddenly it knocked on the door.

"Coming!" he called and walked to the front door.

He was going to regret opening that door…

-

Neji looked down the hall. He had been morning-training with Hinata and was now waiting for Hiashi. Suddenly he felt a chilling down his spine and spun around. Nothing. The Hyuuga narrowed his eyes but did not activate Byakugan. He felt uneasy though.

-

Hinata was walking down the hall after her sparring with Neji. She looked at her mother's old garden and widened her eyes. All the plants that she had cared for since her mother died, was dead. Hinata ran out to them and looked horrified. She took the last rose in her hands and looked around. Who would…? She looked at it, and nearly screamed. In front of her eyes, the rose withered and died. What had caused such a tragedy, and what tragedy laid ahead?

-

Lee laid in an opening in the forest, clutching his leg. He had healed fine, so why did it hurt so much?? What was happening? He looked up at the sky and his eyes widened. A dark cloud was forming. What was going on?

-

Ino was humming to herself while watering the flowers outside her mother's shop. She cupped a rose in her palm but drew back as she was cut. She put the wound in her mouth and winced. Suddenly the street darkened and she froze. The sun disappeared from her view and she fell down on the ground. A moment later the darkness disappeared and the only thing the villagers could see was Ino lying unconscious, bleeding from numerous cuts on her body.

-

Sakura was almost jumping down the streets in happiness. Finally she got to see Sasuke-kun again! She was certain he was going to say yes to her date today.

Oh, she was wrong…

-

Kiba was currently looking for Akamaru, and was pretty pissed at his friend. They had training today and Kurenai hated when they were late.

"Akamaru!" Kiba shouted. "Come on, we're gonna be late!"

He heard a tiny whimper from underneath the couch and scrambled down. He looked under it and Akamaru had curled up there.

"Akamaru, what's wrong?" Kiba softly asked. Then his eyes widened when the dog barked his answer.

"Enemies, here?!"

-

Shino was running. He looked behind and swore, unlike himself. Currently he was hunted by three shinobis. He did not know where they came from, who they were or why they attacked him. He leaped up in a tree and hoped he would reach the village before they killed him.

-

Chouji was walking towards Shikamaru's house. His hands were empty, which was a worrying sign by itself. The said shinobi kept his eyes on the sky, where he had seen the dark cloud. He had a feeling that he needed to check on his friend, even though they had a day off. Chouji walked a bit faster; he had this thought nagging in his head that something was happening.

-

Tenten was practicing as she waited at Neji and Lee. The both boys had promised they would spar a bit and practice with her. She threw a kunai to a tree, and sighed. She was annoyed because the said boys were late. Suddenly there was a movement behind her and she twirled around. What met her was quite unexpected.

"Shino!" she exclaimed.

The said bug-shinobi was panting and was cut on several places. He fell on his knees and Tenten ran forward.

"Enemies", the bug-user said. "Warn the Hokage now…"

"What about you?! You can't defend yourself!"

"I'll be fine, just warn the Hokage and every shinobi you meet!" Shino shouted.

Tenten knew this was serious; she did not know the boy any good, but Neji's cousin Hinata once said if Shino was shouting, it was life and death. She nodded and ran out the clearing. In the meantime, Shino had sunken down on the ground and clutched his side. He carefully took of the high-collar jacket and dropped it on the ground next to him. His entire left side was bleeding. The bug-user sank down a bit more and did his best to hide his chakra. He coughed behind his hand and it was bloody when he pulled it back. He silently gave one of his fastest bugs a command:

'_Please, get dad. I think I'm dying.'_

-

Naruto was walking down the street with Sasuke and Sakura. They were heading to the bridge where they always met their very late sensei. Naruto himself wondered where Kakashi was, since he and Iruka had already left the house when he woke up.

Just as they were walking down the street, there was a big explosion. Team 7 was thrown backwards with several other villagers and shinobis. Debris rained over them and most of the shinobis ran to the explosion. Naruto held a hand to a wound on his right arm and groaned. He felt the bruise on his neck, where a big stone had landed, was already developing.

Sasuke got up and winced as he fell down again. He had a major cut on his leg. Blood oozed out from the wound and he moaned of pain. He clutched the leg and tried to make the pain go away. He felt smaller hands on his leg and looked up. Naruto was examining the leg and said:

"Sasuke, you still got splints in your leg. I have to take them out to be able to clean it."

"Do what you need to do, just make the pain go away", he panted.

Naruto got to work and had to admit it was NOT a pleasant feeling digging around his best friend's leg. He took out the splints one after another and soon found no more of them. He reached and took out a healing salve Kakashi had given him from his pouch. He cleaned the wound with a bit of water from his canteen and then spread the salve over the cut. Finally he wrapped bandages around the leg and said:

"Better?"

The Uchiha nodded and Naruto got up. He looked around and saw Sakura stand up. She saw the bandages around Sasuke's leg and carefully approach. Maybe the girl had learned something.

"Are you guys okay?" she said.

"Yeah, and you?" Naruto said.

"I'm fine. I'm a bit dizzy, but I'm better already", the pink-haired kunoichi said.

That was when the next explosion set in. This time, in the opposite direction. Now they succeeded reacting faster and concentrated their chakra to their feet, staying on place. Naruto shielded his eyes with his arms and so did his two team mates.

Suddenly three shinobis came in view. They were all missing-nins. With one blow they knocked out Sakura. Sasuke picked the girl up and nodded to Naruto. Without delay, they left the now deserted area that held three confused missing-nins.

-

Kakashi knocked out another shinobi while Iruka helped a Konoha shinobi to the hospital. Tsunade had called them in together with all the teachers of the Rookie Nine and Team Gai to inform them about a new potential enemy. They may not be strong as the Akatsuki but they were many. And their leader wished only one thing: destruction.

The Copy-nin sighed; he was frustrated over the new enemy. As the meeting about the new enemy was going on, and they had just started to discuss what to do when Tenten had run in. She screamed out that they were under attack. She had multiply cuts on her body and was running low on chakra. Then the girl had fainted. Right after that the explosion had occurred. Tsunade had healed Tenten and let her rest in the office. Tsunade had given orders to kill the enemies but to leave a few alive for questioning. Kakashi usually did not follow orders, but this one… Yes, he liked this one.

-

Sasuke dropped on his knee and winced. Naruto stopped as well, and Sakura just stood a bit away. She was scanning the area, checking for an adult shinobi.

"Sasuke?"

"My leg is killing me", Sasuke said.

"Poison?" Naruto said.

"No… maybe infected or some splints are still there. I don't know, it just hurts."

Sasuke looked pleading at Naruto. Naruto stood up and said:

"The hospital is near, let's go there."

The Uchiha nodded and stood up. Immediately he fell down, clutching his leg. Sakura came running and asked:

"Is Sasuke-kun alright?"

"We need to get to the hospital", Naruto said. He seemed to think, and then picked the raven up and nodded to Sakura. He leaped towards the hospital and the kunoichi followed.

-

Iruka was worried. He was with Kakashi and they were working their way through the village, searching for Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. They came to the street before the hospital and what met them was a horrifying site.

Sakura sat before them, blood oozing out from her arm. She kept coughing blood every now and then. Sasuke was lying down, clutching his bleeding leg. Naruto was breathing harshly, splints sticking out from his right shoulder. His shirt was destroyed completely; he had used it to bandage his friends' wounds. His feet were bleeding and his shoes missing. He looked up and smiled weakly to them.

"I think we need some help", he said. "Neither me or Sasuke can walk, and I think Sakura got some lung damages."

Iruka picked up Naruto and Kakashi Sasuke. The brunette then gently helped the pink-haired girl up while holding the blonde close to his chest and together they walked to the hospital.

-

Chouji was running towards Shikamaru's house. The second explosion had just happened in the opposite direction of Shikamaru's house. Normally Chouji would run to the explosion site to help the villagers, but he felt his friend's chakra slowly disappearing. And there was no way he would let his best friend die.

He came to the house and stopped in horror. The front door was completely destroyed and it was blood in the hallway. Marks of kunais and shurikens were along the wall. A few weapons laid scattered at the yard, like someone inside had been trying to attack back. He wasted no time and ran inside, only to stop abruptly with wide eyes.

Shikamaru sat slumped over against a wall, bleeding heavily. The Nara's breath was harsh and shallow. Chouji got to his friend's side and dropped to his knees.

"Shika?" he said.

The Nara boy lifted his head and looked into Chouji's eyes and said quietly:

"Sorry… for making you watch this, Chou…"

"You're gonna be fine Shika!" Chouji said, using the nickname ha hade given Shikamaru long ago to reassure his friend that he was there.

"I'm dying Chouji", Shikamaru said.

"I won't let you!"

Chouji carefully cradled his best friend's broken body in his arms and got out of there. As he ran towards the hospital, he remembered the day he gave Shikamaru his nickname.

_Flashback_

Chouji sat on a hill a bit away from the village, crying. The other children had been mean to him again. And today he did not have Shikamaru to tell him everything was alright. They had pissed him off as well. Bullying him alone; he was used to that but they dared to insult Shikamaru this day. The boy cried harder as he remembered the day's event:

"_You can't be with us. That makes us look bad__!" one of the boys screamed._

"_I just asked…" Chouji started but another boy cut him short:_

"_Well, don't you fatty! You will never be a shinobi!"_

_The other boys laughed at Chouji's misery. He was sad, and hurt by their laughs. He made a last attempt:_

"_I just asked because I didn't have anyone else to play with that's all."_

"_That good for nothing Nara wasn't with you today?" one of the boys said and the others laughed even more, throwing insult to the absent Nara._

_That made Chouji snap. He screamed out before running off:_

"_Make a fool out of me, fine, but never, __**ever**__, make fun of Shikamaru you stupid idiots!"_

Chouji sighed while stubbornly wiped away the constant fall of tears.

"There you are", a gentle voice said behind him. "You're extra troublesome today."

Chouji froze as he recognized the voice and the famous word 'troublesome' and turned around. Shikamaru's smile faltered as he saw his friend in tears. The said boy hiccupped and turned his back to the Nara. He hid his face behind his hands and sobbed ever harder. Shikamaru sat down next to the crying boy and did not hesitate to lay his arms around Chouji, giving the Akimichi boy a hug.

"What did they do this time?" the Nara whispered.

"T-they told me I was fat and was never gonna be able to be a shinobi. Then… t-then they started insult you…"

Chouji's voice broke and Shikamaru tightened his grip around the other boy; Chouji sure hugged him back.

"They're just idiots", Shikamaru murmured.

"I told them that", Chouji said and sniffed.

"You did?" Shikamaru's voice was indicating the Nara was surprised.

"Yeah, but then I ran away like an idiot myself", the boy muttered.

Shikamaru smiled into Chouji's hair and said:

"You're not and idiot. You stood up and told them what they were. It's okay now."

Chouji clutched his friend's shirt harder and smiled.

"Thanks Shika."

The Nara boy gently turned the other boy's face to look at him. Chouji got scared that Shikamaru would be mad for the nickname but almost burst of joy when the said boy smiled and said:

"You're welcome, Chouji."

_End flashback_

Chouji ran faster and clutched the bloody body of his friend harder. Shikamaru stared wide eyes, or as good as he could in his condition, and said weakly:

"Chouji…"

"You're extra troublesome today", Chouji blurted out. Shikamaru always said so when Chouji ran away and hide or hurt himself while training.

The lazy shinobi looked at Chouji for a while, then chuckled and said:

"You stole my line, troublesome being."

"Then you better steal it back when you're better", Chouji said. "You better make it."

"For you", Shikamaru said.

"For us all", Chouji interrupted, "You better survive for us all. Your mom and dad, me, sensei and Ino, Naruto and everyone else. Got that?"

Shikamaru smiled and said:

"For everyone then."

-

Neji knocked out another missing-nin and looked over to Hanabi. She was protected by two branch members. Neji nodded his approval and continued. Hinata was working her way trough the street with three branch members on her side.

The Hyuuga boy was utterly surprised over her strength, but was happy for her sake. Her face showed determination to get know ledged as an heir and not as a failure.

Neji ran after her; protected by branch members or not, he still wanted to be there for her. Not as an underling, but as a cousin.

-

Lee kicked a missing-nin down, knocking the man unconscious and continued to badly limp trough the partly destroyed village. Pain shot trough his body every few steps and he bit his lip bloody to not scream out loud. He had been surprised attacked when he laid in the clearing and had yet to remove the kunai he had received in his already pained leg. A trail of blood trickled down his face from a blow he had received to his head only minutes ago.

The boy fell down, his already low chakra reserve now drained. He clutched the damaged leg and curled up. His breathing was getting shallower for every movement. He was seriously convinced that this was the end.

But just as he was about to close his eyes and give in to the darkness, he was picked up and it jostled him back to reality. He looked up to see his sensei, Gai. The said shinobi was leaping quickly to the hospital, careful about Lee's injured leg.

"Gai-sensei…" Lee said weakly.

"Don't speak Lee", Gai said. "You're using up precious chakra, just relax I got you now."

Lee had never before seen his sensei this serious. Gai's eyes were narrowed; his mouth a grim line and he wore a deep frown. He dodged enemies, kicking down those who stood in his way and soon spotted the hospital.

"Lee, we're almost there now." When he received to answer, he shook his student a bit. "Lee! Lee, can you hear me?! Lee!"

For Lee, his sensei's voice was nothing but a whisper, nothing but a sand corn on a beach and the boy sank into awaiting darkness.

-

Naruto sat in the corridor, half asleep in Iruka's lap. The said shinobi rocked him back and forth slightly as Kakashi bandaged his badly injured feet. Naruto closed his eyes and tried to block out the screams that came from the corridor, the rooms and outside. He started to sing softly to himself, so low that only Iruka and Kakashi could hear it:

"In comes the mist,

sweeping around you,

and closing like a fist.

I thought I heard you call,

but now it's all silent.

Your battle was heroic

but everything must past.

Now you lay in darkness,

your time had run out…"(1)

His voice sank to a mumble and soon he was sleeping. Iruka looked at his face and said aloud:

"Who taught him that?"

Kakashi did not know.

-

Naruto's dreams had always been frightening and deadly for his mind when he was a small child. Kyuubi had woken him up most of the time, softly soothing him back to sleep after a nightmare. As he got older, the dreams were not so frightening anymore but he still had them. They had lessened when he got a team. And after he met Sabaku no Gaara, they only occurred once every few months.

Naruto sat in the cage that held the Kyuubi, thinking. The demon fox looked at his kit and shrugged. When he wants to be, Naruto was scarier than the demon lord himself. And right now, the said blonde did not want to be disturbed. He was remembering a meeting with Gaara after Sasuke's retrieval.

_Flashback_

Naruto sat at the Hokage monument, at Yondaime's head. He was looking at the sunset, clearly enjoying the view.

Suddenly he felt a chakra signal behind him and turned around. Gaara, without his gourd and his siblings, stood and looked at the sunset. He looked down at the blonde, and gave a rare smile. The sand shinobi sat down next to the leaf shinobi and they watched the sunset together.

"What makes you come here?" Naruto said.

"I felt your chakra, and you're almost the only one I speak to in this village", Gaara mumbled.

"Oh… what about Kankuro and Temari?" Naruto said.

Gaara waved his hand, like saying 'They have other things to do' and Naruto nodded and turned back to the sunset. The redhead gently pulled his legs up and rested his chin on the knees. Naruto looked at the sand shinobi in amusement, as he thought the slightly older boy looked like a small child at the moment.

Gaara glanced over to Naruto and then stared at the sunset.

After a while Naruto shivered and brought his legs up in a similar position as Gaara.

"Are you cold?" the redhead asked.

"A bit", Naruto confessed. "And… my apartment is always so cold at night."

The blonde shivered again and stiffened when Gaara brought his arm on his shoulders. The redhead still looked at the sunset, but gave Naruto's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"It's okay", Gaara murmured. "I'm not a villager or some bad person."

Naruto slowly relaxed his tense body and leaned into Gaara.

"You're a good friend", the blonde whispered.

Gaara looked at the blonde hair and then smiled a bit. He turned to the sinking sun and softly started to sing:

"The fight has past by us for now,

the darkness has once more gone back.

The enemy has retreated,

knowing he's defeated.

The sun comes out and shines upon us,

showing how much life is worth now.

The darkness goes away,

washed away by the waves of light.

Knowing he's defeated,

our enemy will not return.

Feel the love that comes from us,

feel yourself protected.

Feel yourself be loved now, feel yourself be loved now.

There is no one that can hurt you now,

we're always there, we're always there.

We're always there to protect you,

we're always there to protect you.

Don't feel scared anymore…"(2)

Naruto stared at his friend. His voice had been like a spell, catching Naruto in no time.

"That… that was beautiful", Naruto said.

"Many thinks Temari taught me", Gaara confessed.

"She didn't?"

"No", Gaara said, "she never really liked singing."

"Who taught you then?" Now Naruto was curious.

"Kankuro", the redhead said, "is a very good singer. He likes singing at a quiet moment at some mission, or while he's fixing his puppets."

Naruto looked at the sand shinobi. Gaara was gazing down at the village, then he said quietly:

"It's late, I'm sure Tsunade-sama will worry about us."

Gaara stood up and held out a hand to the blonde. The two boys did not notice the Godaime Hokage that stood and enjoyed the moment between the two. Naruto grabbed the redhead's hand and Gaara pulled him up. Naruto smiled and said:

"That song cheered me up. Thanks."

Gaara did something for the first time of his life; he laughed together with his friend.

_End flashback_

Kyuubi gently nudged Naruto with his nose. When the said blonde did not react, Kyuubi yawned and figured out his kit was comfortable and proceeded to fall asleep himself.

-

Aburame Shibi was a quiet man. Shino was much like his father. They both had jackets that covered the lower part of their face and sunglasses at all time.

Shibi never rushed or looked panicked. Until now…

The said shinobi was running through the village, his half-dead son Shino in his arms.

_One of Shino's bugs had come with the news that its master (Shino) was dying. Shibi had never before run so fast in his life.__ He had reached the clearing only to find his son slumped against a tree and not moving. He had quickly picked up Shino and sprinted off to the hospital. _

Shibi dodged another kunai that came and leaping onto the roof tops. Shino groaned and Shibi said:

"How are you feeling?"

"D-dad?"

"It's me, don't worry", Shibi said.

Shino coughed and gripped his father's jacket. Shibi prayed he was not going to be too late.

-

Kakashi tried to calm down Gai, that had came only a few minutes ago with a dying Lee in his arms. The normally cheerful Jounin now was a wreak. His clothing was stained by his student's blood, and his eyes were hollow. He had noticed a few Hyuugas and asked them about Neji. They had answered he and Hinata was holding their ground good. Gai's worry about Neji had lessened a bit then. Tenten had awoken and was probably fighting alongside Tsunade by the main gate. Gai knew the weapon mistress was going to be alright, since Tsunade promised to look after her. He was most worried about Lee.

"Lee got a strong will", Kakashi reassured. "He'll pull trough, I'm sure of it."

Gai nodded miserably. He then looked over to Iruka and Naruto and said:

"How's your kid?"

"He's alright. His feet took the most damage. I think he's more worried about Sasuke and Sakura than himself."

"That sounds like him", Gai said. "You take good care of him, okay? And look for any news about Lee."

"Where are you going?" Kakashi said.

"I still need to fight", Gai said.

"No. Stay here, I'll go."

"But Naruto…"

"He's safe with Iruka", Kakashi said. "Besides, he's only sleeping so I know he's alright. Lee wasn't that lucky. You stay here."

The Copy-nin walked over to Iruka and Gai watched. Iruka's face showed worry. Kakashi gave Iruka a brief kiss trough his mask and then moved to the exit, but not before giving Naruto a kiss on the forehead. Gai smiled slightly and moved to sit next to the brunette. Iruka flashed Gai a tired smile before looking down at the sleeping blonde.

"Kids sure make you go trough a lot of trouble, right?" Iruka said.

Gai could not help but grin.

-

Kiba fell down on the ground, clutching his leg that now was pierced with five kunais. Akamaru barked and tried to make him stand up, but he no longer had the energy. He smiled weakly and said:

"You hafta go and grab mom for me, 'kay? Tell her I'm in deep shit."

Akamaru whined; he did not want to abandon his friend and companion.

"Listen, Akamaru you need to go. Grab mom or sis, got it? And don't slack behind, 'cause I'll notice that."

The little dog licked Kiba, tried to reason with him, but the boy growled and Akamaru understood he was serious. Akamaru barked, telling he would hurry, and ran off.

Kiba looked after the dog and smiled sadly.

"Sorry Akamaru", Kiba said. "I tricked you. Mom and sis are too far away, I'll be dead before you come back…"

-

Sakura did her best to help the nurses and the doctors with the wounded. Her arm was much better and she had stopped coughing. Sasuke laid not far away, his leg newly bandaged and examined. He got up and limped down the hall to Iruka, Naruto and Gai. Iruka smiled at the Uchiha and said:

"How are you feeling?"

Sasuke shrugged. He looked at Naruto and Iruka answered:

"He's just asleep."

Sasuke felt the tension leave him; his friend was alright.

But then the left wing of the hospital exploded…

-

Kakashi was running out of stamina and chakra. Now the stronger shinobis had arrived and he was at his limit with the Sharingan. He had just killed a water-using missing-nin when the hospital exploded. He turned around, wide-eyed and then panic ran trough his chest.

He could not run there, he needed to protect the village.

'_Iruka,__ Gai, make sure the kids are alright'_, he prayed.

-

Tenten looked over to the destroyed hospital, praying her friends would be alright. She threw another kunai towards an enemy, distracting him so Tsunade could get a good hit. The Godaime crushed the man and moved on with Tenten not far behind. The Godaime herself was praying as well, praying for success and for her people.

-

Kiba looked as shinobis fought. His face has lost all blood, thanks to the bleeding in his leg and internal damages on his organs. He blinked and felt darkness come.

"Kiba! Kiba!!"

'_Mom... Man, Akamaru is fast nowadays'_, Kiba thought.

Tsume got to her son, and turned him around. Kiba smiled weakly and said:

"Sorry, mom… I guess this is it for me…"

"Kiba, stay with me!" Tsume ordered.

She picked up her son, with Akamaru and Kuromaru by her side.

"Kuromaru, tell Hana I got to help Kiba", Tsume said.

The dog nodded and leaped off. Tsume turned to Akamaru and said:

"Let's go and save this idiot."

Akamaru barked in agreement and they were off.

-

Even though with the explosion, a nurse helped Shibi to heal some of Shino's wounds. Just minutes later Tsume arrived with Kiba. The same nurse got up to her feet and helped the other team 8 member. Tsume looked at Shibi and said:

"Is your kid okay?"

"I truly hope so. How about Kiba?"

"I'm gonna kick his ass when he wakes up. He made Akamaru run to get me, knowing it would probably be too late when I arrived", Tsume growled.

Shibi chuckled a bit under his collar: the Inuzuka women certainly had a special way to worry about their children.

-

Sasuke got up from the debris, and coughed. He stood up with wobbling leg and suddenly Gai was there supporting him with Lee on his shoulder. Iruka got up but fell down as his knees buckled under him. Sasuke limped to his former sensei and Gai was not far behind. He gently laid Lee down next to the brunette and went to help others. Sasuke got down and Iruka gritted his teeth as he pulled a piece of iron from his leg. He suppressed a scream as he dragged out another piece from his shoulder. He was grateful as Sasuke did his best to bandage his wound on the shoulder as Iruka worked on his leg. Soon, though, Sasuke noticed something was wrong.

"Iruka-sensei?"

"Yes?"

"Where is Naruto?"

'_Oh no'_, Iruka thought and looked around.

The blonde boy was nowhere to be seen.

-

Tsume and Shibi had to fight to their limit to keep missing-nins away from the injured Konoha shinobis and civilians.

The Inuzuka head turned around just to see a missing-nin advance towards Kiba.

"No!" she yelled.

Suddenly the man was attacked by kikai bugs and fell down screaming. She was about to thank Shibi when she noticed he was too far away. She turned back and watched as Shino weakly called back his bugs. She ran to the Aburame boy and gently picked him up and put him closer to Kiba.

"Don't wear yourself out", she said. "Remember, me and your father is close by, okay?"

The bug boy nodded and slumped down due to exhaustion. Tsume grinned and returned to the fight. Who said kids were weak?

-

Naruto's head hurt. A lot. The blonde groaned and tried to move. He was in his mindscape again. He slowly sat up and looked up at the Kyuubi. Kyuubi stared right back at him. They sat like that for five heavy minutes before Kyuubi spoke:

'**What's going on?'**

'_I don't know'_, Naruto replied.

Kyuubi sighed and laid down to get to a more reasonable level to Naruto.

'**Then what the hell are we gonna do?' **the demon continued.

'_Well, first I think I should wake up'_, Naruto said.

'**Oh, really?'**

Naruto glared at the fox, whose voice dripped with sarcasm. He stood up and put his hands together in a seal.

'_See you later'_, Naruto said and disappeared with a wind.

Kyuubi looked on the spot where Naruto had been only moments ago and then shrugged. He would never be able to figure out that child.

-

Naruto woke up and had a difficult time to breathe. He realized he had a large chunk of wood over him and pushed it off while gasping for breath.

He looked around. Smoke was cutting his vision from most things and he coughed. He tried to find Iruka's chakra, or someone he knew. The different chakras blended together, making Naruto more confused. His vision was blurry and he tried to get it away by blinking rapidly. This was not good. He was in no condition to fight at all, he was bleeding from multiply places, his whole body was shaking and he could not even recognize any chakra around him.

The blonde closed his eyes and made himself as small as human possible, trying to protect his body in case any enemy would show up. He felt darkness slowly consume him and he was again back in his mindscape.

'**Don't bother trying to wake up'**, Kyuubi growled. **'You will only panic.'**

'_Yeah, I know'_, Naruto said and sat down.

The demon fox walked deeper in his prison, leaving Naruto to think. The said boy leaned back against the bars of the door that kept Kyuubi inside and wondered if Gaara and his siblings were alright in Suna. They had spoken briefly when Gaara was visiting around a week after that chibi accident:

_Flashback_

Naruto sat yet again on Yondaime's head with Gaara by his side. Gaara was there with his siblings, and had just completed their mission. They had decided to stop in Konoha to rest a bit before going home. The redhead looked over the village and Naruto laid down next to him. They had just finished talking about the incident and they had laughed quite a bit. Gaara looked at Naruto and said:

"Is it nice?"

"What?" the blonde replied.

"Having someone that loves you", Gaara said.

"It's great. And addicting. You feel like you're the luckiest person alive", Naruto said.

"Do you think that will happen to me?"

"Don't you already have that?" Naruto said.

"What?" Gaara asked as he looked down on the blonde, confused.

"Kankuro and Temari", Naruto said and sat up again. "Don't they love you?"

Gaara was quiet. He never had thought of that. Naruto grinned and said:

"I've always wondered how it is to have a brother. I know me and Sasuke don't exactly act like brothers, more like enemies but I still consider him brother. What about you and Kankuro?"

"Kankuro is… he cares about me even though I don't want him to", the redhead said. "He was afraid of me when we were placed in the same team, but now…"

"Is he nice?"

"Always. Still a bit annoying, but he says I'm annoying as well. I guess that's how we are. Always fighting but still loving each other."

Naruto was quiet and looked at Gaara, who now had a content expression on his face.

"You're getting softy on him", Naruto teased.

Gaara whirled around and pounded the blonde shinobi down on the ground. The redhead was grinning like a madman and Naruto only laughed. They rolled around on the Hokage monument, not caring who saw them as they continued their friendly fight.

_End flashback_

Naruto opened his eyes. He missed the redhead Suna shinobi more than anything. Gaara made him feel happy, like when he was with Iruka and Kakashi. Maybe even happier.

The blonde shook his head; what did he just think?? Gaara always made him feel special; to Gaara Naruto was special as his first friend. Gaara was special to Naruto as the first human he could share his burden and pain of being a Jinchuuriki.

The boy was abruptly pulled back to reality and opened his eyes. The pain in his body was present while he sat up. The smoke had cleared some, but he still could not find anyone he knew.

Suddenly he felt an evil chakra behind him and whipped around.

A big shinobi, probably good with heavy weapons, stood there grinning. He wore a Rock hitai-ate with a big slash trough it. He lifted a big axe, bigger than the blonde himself, and with an insane laugh he brought it down to ensure certain death to the twelve-year old Konoha shinobi...

Tbc…

* * *

(1) Alright I made this song up. I thought it would be nice if Naruto had learned some songs by Gaara. 

(2) Another one I made up. Gaara taught this one, and others songs, to Naruto. Gaara himself learned these songs from Kankuro.

* * *

So, chapter 5 finished. Kinda cliffhanger here, don't kill me for that, thank you very much. Not much romance in this fic right? I'm not sooo good with it and lucky me I don't think either Naruto or Gaara is. I'll learn as I write I guess. 

Until next time,

Ja,

Tiro


	6. Chapter 6

**The Chibi accident and Kakashi's discovery**

**Pairings: KakaIru and GaaNaru**

Hiya there, Tiro here. Chapter 6 up, so I won't waste any time babbling. Some angst and sorrow in this chapter. Can't exactly say enjoy after saying that, but I'll say it anyway 'cause I'm evil. Enjoy.

**

* * *

**

_Previously on chapter 5:_

_He lifted a big axe, bigger than the blonde himself, and with an insane laugh he brought it down to ensure certain death to the twelve-year old Konoha shinobi…_

-

Naruto widened his eyes and a scream tore itself from his throat.

-

Iruka and Sasuke just got vision on the blonde.

"Naruto!" they both screamed.

-

The blonde made a stupid try to cover his head and waited for death.

It never came.

He opened his eyes and looked up. The Rock shinobi was trapped in… sand? That meant…

"Gaara!" Naruto said and whirled around.

The redheaded Suna shinobi stood behind the blonde with his cold eyes resting on the missing-nin. Then he raised his hand and said with a hint of anger in his voice:

"Sabaku Sousou."

The shinobi was crushed. Gaara helped the blonde up and suddenly a strong wind came. Temari appeared with her fan ready and Kankuro released Karasu. Several other Suna shinobi showed up and started fighting.

"How…?" Naruto said as he looked around.

"We got our hands on their plan on crushing Konoha and got here as fast as we could", Kankuro said. "You alright?"

"I've been better, but I'll survive", Naruto said.

Another missing-nin tried to attack Naruto but Gaara just repeated his action while looking bored. Kankuro laughed, patted his little brother on his shoulder and went his way. Temari smiled and went another way, taking a group from Suna with her. Gaara helped the blonde back to Iruka and Sasuke. Lee lay between them, still unconscious. Iruka hugged Naruto tightly and thanked Gaara. The redhead nodded and a second later crushed a missing-nin coming their way.

-

Kakashi was deeply thankful for the puppeteer from Suna. Kankuro had thrown his puppet between Kakashi and his death, literally. The said Suna shinobi came running and called out:

"Kakashi-san, you alright?!"

The Copy-nin waved his hand and nodded tiredly. Kankuro grinned and continued to slay missing-nins that came in his way. Kakashi carefully noted in his head never mess with the middle sibling, even though he was the nicest of the three, and got up on his feet. He was dead tired, out of chakra and his head hurt. He was worried about Iruka, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and a lot of other people. He had seen so many he knew on the hospital. He would never forget Gai's face when he came with Lee. He saw Chouji run in with a deadly wounded Shikamaru. Kiba and Shino was in critical condition if he had heard right. Ino was one of the first to be attacked, and she may not have survived. Of all of the Rookie Nine and Gai's team, he was only sure that Tenten, Neji and Hinata was okay.

"Kakashi!"

He looked around and his eye found Gai. He came running and said:

"You alright, Kakashi?"

"Yeah, somewhat", Kakashi said. "What is it?"

"I heard the hospital is safe now", Gai said. "Sabaku no Gaara is there with a group from Suna."

"Yeah, I could kinda guess that. I met Gaara's brother only a little while ago", the Copy-nin said. "I better go there and see if everyone is alright."

"Check Lee for me", Gai said.

Kakashi promised and they parted.

-

Kiba woke up to see smoke and sand. What a minute… sand?? He lifted his head and turned it to his right. Sabaku no Gaara stood steadily on the ground, sending sand to crush the enemies. He turned his head left and saw Shino.

"Shino?"

The bug-user moved slightly, and Kiba waited until Shino answered:

"Kiba?"

"You alright?"

"I can't move very well."

"Me neither", Kiba said.

He slowly got up on his elbows and checked the area. Most of the missing-nin was killed by Gaara's sand. He saw his mom working on a bandage on a girl's arm. He looked some more, and found Shino's dad. The man was sending bugs to spy while helping an elder man to a place to sit down. Shino moved and tried to get up but coughed blood and fell back down. Kiba got worried; he trusted Gaara but if… he would not be able to protect Shino, let alone himself.

Kiba had luck. His mom saw him awake and rushed over as soon as she was finished with the girl and handed her to the mother.

"Kiba! Oh my god, are you alright?"

"I'm fine mom."

Tsume looked at Kiba and then hit him on the head.

"Ouch!! What the hell mom?!"

"That's for making me so worried!" Tsume fumed.

She then noticed Shino was awake as well and said with a kinder voice:

"Do you want me to get your father?"

"If he's not too busy", Shino answered quietly.

Tsume smiled and ran off.

"Shino wants daddy?" Kiba teased.

He may not have been able to see Shino's eyes, but the light pink shade on the bug-user's cheeks was evidence enough. Kiba could not help but laugh. Shino gave a small smile, not particulate upset on Kiba.

-

Hinata panted as she gladly left the rest of missing-nins to Temari. Neji sat on a stair, wiping sweat from his face with a shaking hand. She looked at her cousin with loving eyes. She did not know what she would do without him.

Neji got up and walked to Hinata.

"How about we let Suna handle them and we get to the hospital? I think they may need some help", Neji said.

"That would be a good idea", she said. "I need to find my team mates."

"So do I."

-

Tenten was running side by side with a Suna shinobi. The weapon mistress threw a kunai against an enemy and the Suna shinobi handled the rest.

'_Neji, Lee, Gai-sensei, I hope you are alright'_, she thought. _'No, I hope everyone is alright. Team 7, team 8 and team 10, please be alright.'_

-

Tsunade met up with Baki, Suna's temporary leader until a new Kazekage was announced.

"I believe every enemy should be killed or captured in the next ten minutes", Baki said.

"I can't thank you enough", Tsunade said. "We were losing. Can you believe they took out Uchiha Sasuke and Nara Shikamaru in a matter of minutes? They destroyed our defences and took out almost every Genin we have."

"They came prepared", Baki said. "Sneaky bastards. Personally I would like to kill them all."

"Ibiki will have his fun with the ones we have captured", Tsunade growled. "They've killed so many of us. First Orochimaru and now this!"

Baki could only nod.

-

Morino Ibiki was having a bad day but it was getting brighter for every passing minute. The village had been attacked which meant trouble but lucky them Suna had got their hands on the plans and rushed to their help. The day got even better when Tsunade said he could do whatever he wanted with the prisoners they took today later.

Right now, though, he was on his way to the Hokage tower so he could meet up with Anko and Genma.

-

The two Hyuugas had reached the hospital and Neji was searching for his team. He heard Hinata suddenly call out her team mates' names in distress and whirled around.

Hinata ran to Kiba and Shino. Shino's father did not wake his son from where he had fallen asleep in his arms; instead he slowly explained everything to the scared Hyuuga heir while calming her down. Kiba got up on his elbow and said:

"Hi Hinata. You okay?"

"Me? I'm alright, but what about you and Shino-kun??"

"Hinata…"

"What?"

"You don't stammer…"

Hinata looked dumbly at Kiba, and then realized she did not stammer.

"You're right…" she said.

"Well, I'm glad over that", Kiba said. "Now tell me, did you kick those bastards' asses?"

"Watch your language!" Hinata said sharply and smacked the Inuzuka boy over his head.

"Ouch!"

"Finally someone else than me complains about it", a new voice said.

"Mom!" Kiba whined.

Tsume grinned to Hinata and said:

"Don't you worry about Kiba; he's too damn stubborn to die."

Kiba yelled, Hinata and Tsume laughed while Shibi was more kind and hid his laugh behind a cough. Shino cracked one eye open, safely hidden behind his shades, and looked over to his team mates. He felt a bit uncomfortable in his father's lap, and wriggled a bit until he found a better spot. This, of course, caught their attention.

"Shino?" Kiba said.

"Shino-kun?" the Hyuuga said.

"I'm quite well considering the circumstances, but I would like to continue to rest", Shino said with his normally stoic voice, though a bit tired.

"Right!" both of them said.

He wriggled a bit more, Shibi's arms gently guiding him and then turned his face against his father's chest. Then he said load and clear:

"But I must admit Tsume-san is right; Kiba is too damn stubborn to die, so do not worry too much about him Hinata."

Silence fall over them as four shinobi stared at the normally quiet Shino, as he had said something no one expected.

Then:

"You were awake?" (Tsume)

"Seems like you're recovering well!" (Hinata)

"Rest some more, Shino; I think you may have a concussion if you speak like that." (Shibi)

"You bastard, you wake up and that's the first thing you can say!!" (Kiba, of course)

Shortly said, team 8 was doing fine.

-

Asuma and Kurenai had cleared their area.

"Man, this is too damn much", Asuma said and sat down.

"I hope my team is alright", Kurenai said and sat down next to him.

"I don't know anything about Chouji and Shikamaru", Asuma said. "All I know is that Ino was in critical condition even before the attack."

Then they saw Shikaku coming. He was running and looked panicked.

"Shikaku, what's wrong?" Asuma said and rose up quickly.

"Shikamaru", Shikaku panted. "I just got word that Chouji had showed up on the hospital with Shikamaru nearly dead. I ran past my house and there's a lot of blood inside."

Asuma paled. Shikamaru, dying?

"I'll come with you", Asuma said and nodded to Kurenai.

"I'm finished here, so I'll go too", Kurenai said. "I need to know if my team and friends are alright."

Shikaku nodded and they were on their way in seconds, leaving not a battle field behind but a bloodbath.

-

Kakashi came to the partly destroyed hospital and looked around. There was blood, bodies, more blood and… sand? Aah, Gaara. The Copy-nin spotted the redhead currently helping a nurse transport… Shikamaru? The Nara boy was pale but conscious. He seemed to be speaking with Gaara and his friend Chouji that had not left his side once. Kakashi looked away and spotted bright pink hair, though now with spots of red. Sakura ordered people around her, and seemed to have control over the situation even though she looked like she had been to hell and back. The Copy-nin smiled; she was becoming more mature.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi waved with his hand and Sakura came.

"Iruka-sensei, Naruto and Sasuke-kun are over there. I think Lee is with them as well", she said and pointed.

"Thank you. How are your wounds?"

"It's nothing", Sakura said. "There are more damaged people here. Go on now!"

The last sentence she said with a small smile and she waved her hands.

"Hai, hai(1)", Kakashi said. "Gambatte!(2)"

Sakura gave him her tongue and he could not help but laugh.

Kakashi walked away, trying to spot his dolphin and the blonde boy he had stared calling son. He soon found them. Sasuke was leaning against Iruka, deep in sleep. The boy was paler than normal due to blood loss and he had bandages on both of his legs and his left arm. Iruka had one arm around the raven to support him and Kakashi winced when he saw the damages on his love's body.

Iruka's right arm was completely wrapped in bloody bandages. His shoulder was bandaged as well, so was his right leg. He was holding Naruto in his lap. The blonde was a big mess. His hair was dirty and bloody, he had cuts on his exposed chest and both arms were wrapped in bandages. He had new shoes, a pair of black sandals that looked a bit like Kankuro's but still bloody bandages around his feet. Dried blood that had come from his right eye was cutting itself in his face. His blue eyes were closed in exhaustion. Lee was lying near them, his head positioned on Iruka's knee. The boy was pale and nowhere near even to start to wake up.

Kakashi kneeled down and gently moved Lee to one of the extra blankets he had found. Iruka opened his eyes and gasped. Kakashi shushed him and carefully laid Sasuke down on another blanket and then carefully sat down where Sasuke had been. He hugged Iruka and Naruto tightly and said:

"You look like hell."

"I feel like hell", Iruka said. "Naruto was nearly killed you know?"

"What happened?"

"Gaara saved him", Iruka said. "I think I'll never stop thanking him."

Naruto opened his eyes and looked at them. Kakashi took his canteen with water and a cloth and washed Naruto's face while saying:

"You got yourself in trouble again?"

"I guess you can say that", Naruto said. "Luckily I had my knight in shining armour."

"You mean Gaara?" Kakashi chuckled. "No bad about Gaara, but he doesn't look like a knight in shining armour."

"How about a psychotic killer who kills anyone that tries to hurt me?" the blonde said.

"I'll buy that", the Copy-nin said. "All nice and clean now."

Naruto looked up at Kakashi, his wounds slowly healing.

"I guess I still need a shower?" he said.

"Maybe even two", Iruka said and stroke Naruto's hair.

Kakashi hugged Naruto again, and smiled a bit. Blood and death surrounded him, but he was with his 'family' and they were alright. He hoped his friends were alright, but the only thing he could do now was wait.

-

Shikamaru looked up on the clouds. He sighed and Chouji looked at him.

"How are you feeling?" Chouji said.

"Like I've been punctured by a thousand needles", the Nara muttered.

"Try with a thousand kunais", Chouji said. "Oh…"

"What?"

"Your dad and Asuma-sensei is coming", the bigger boy said.

Shikamaru coughed and with Chouji's help he sat up. Shikaku was over him the moment he got up and he coughed again.

"Dad, you're choking me", Shikamaru complained. "I'm fine now."

"Fine??" Shikaku said. "Excuse me, but you couldn't even sit up on your own!"

"Troublesome", Shikamaru muttered. "I got a bit injured but Chouji helped me."

"A bit?" Chouji said and raised an eyebrow.

Shikamaru glared at his friend. Shikaku sat down beside his son, still keeping the boy close. And Shikamaru secretly hoped his dad would keep him close just for a little while. Asuma came forth and said:

"Are you guys okay?"

"More or less", Chouji said. "We're alive."

"Speaking of alive, I got a hold on a nurse and she said despite the explosion, Ino's doing just fine", Asuma said.

The both boys perked up and Chouji smiled.

"That's great! I was really worried for a while", he said.

Shikamaru did a weak thumb-up before leaning heavily against his father.

"Seems like we've tired you out", Asuma grinned. "I'll go and check on some people, I trust the boys with you Shikaku."

The Nara head nodded and Chouji sat down beside him. Shikaku looked at Shikamaru's face for a while before muttering out a sentence that caused Chouji to laugh and Shikamaru to glare up at him:

"You're one damn troublesome boy…"

-

Kurenai approached her team and smiled.

"You guys alright?" she said.

"Kurenai-sensei!" both Hinata and Kiba said.

Shino moved his head from his father's chest and nodded to his sensei before falling back with a 'thump'. The tired kunoichi sat down heavily and Hinata spoke up:

"Are you alright, sensei?"

"Tired, but unharmed", Kurenai smiled. "Seems like Shino and Kiba are a different story."

"Dunno how Shino got his injuries", Kiba said, "but I guess I tried to fight too many at the same time. Akamaru saved me by getting mom."

"Shino was the first to alert", Shibi spoke quietly.

"He was the one that warned Tenten?" Kurenai said and Shibi nodded. "But she never said where he was."

"He sent a bug to me", Shibi said and his grip on Shino suddenly tightened.

"What was his message?" Kurenai whispered not to alert Hinata or Kiba.

"He thought he was going to die", Shibi said and looked down at his son. "And when I found him, I was afraid he was already dead."

Shino moved in the exact moment and coughed. Small drips of blood sprayed on his lips and Shibi gently shook him out of it. The boy looked at Kurenai and she said:

"You warned us for the danger. That was brave of you."

Shino shrugged and sat up a bit more in Shibi's lap. He cleared his throat and spoke quietly:

"That's my duty."

"Some Genins would panic and try to save their own lives", Kurenai said.

"I would never had made it to the village anyway", Shino said. "I stopped where Tenten was and knew I couldn't go on. My legs refused to move, and my vision was so blurred I couldn't even make out her face."

Shino coughed again and Kurenai said:

"I hate to make you continue to speak, but how did you find out their plan?"

"I… I was training", Shino panted and then took a couple of breathes before continuing. "I had sent out my bugs to scout and one came back saying someone tried to attack Konoha. I followed to where he had heard that, and saw a mass of shinobis. Not all were missing-nins. One spotted me and I had to run. Another one of them got me after only a few hundred metres and injured my side. I called for the bugs and they took him out. Then I just ran until I found a chakra signal I recognized. It was good Tenten was there, or else I would never have made it. I would've collapsed there, because I was beyond my limit when I met her."

Shino carefully noticed his father's grip on him was almost painfully tight, but found himself liking it. He gave a long sigh, sagged in his dad's arms and said:

"I just want to sleep a while…"

"That's okay", Kurenai said. "Thank you for telling me."

She nodded to Shibi and then turned her attention to Hinata and Kiba. Kiba said:

"What didja speak about?"

"Shino told me what happened to him", Kurenai said, "that's all."

Hinata looked at Shino and then said:

"He'll be alright, right?"

"He's fine", Kurenai reassured. "He's just a bit tired."

Kiba slowly sat up and held a hand on his stomach. He coughed and said:

"Remind me to think twice before protecting myself, since I protected the wrong place. I tell you, that hurt."

"What happened?" Hinata said.

"A guy came running, aiming for my stomach and yet I protected my head", Kiba said and coughed up a bit blood alerting the two kunoichis. "Guess I had to pay for that."

"You have internal damages?" Kurenai said.

"Mom said my left lung and heart got a shock", Kiba said, "but that was the first thing the nurse healed on me. My stomach is a bit sore, but I can live with it. Mom told me to rest, and then I would be fine."

Hinata sagged with relief. Kurenai turned to her and said:

"How about we go and check the others? You know, team 10 and team 7? Maybe we can find Neji's team as well."

Hinata nodded.

"Come back later and tell me", Kiba said. "I wanna know if everyone is alright. And maybe you could look if sis is okay if she's around?"

Kurenai promised and they were off. Shibi looked a while on Kiba, who had eased himself back on the ground. He carefully gathered Shino in his arms, rose gracefully and walked to short distance to Kiba.

"Mind if I join you?" Shibi said.

Kiba shook his head and Shibi sat down. Kiba threw a worried look at Shino and said:

"Is he really okay?"

"Yes, I believe so", Shibi said. "He just likes sleeping."

"He does??" Kiba said. "Man, I thought he was a morning-person."

"Not a chance", the usually quiet and stoic Aburame Shibi said. "You have to drag him up."

Kiba laughed as Shibi continued to talk about his son to amuse the boy while waiting. The Inuzuka would have a lot fun with Shino later.

-

Neji sat with his head in his hands. Lee was wrapped in a blanket near him. The miniature Gai had yet to wake up. Neji felt hot tears sting behind his eyes. He was without any injuries, proud that he had been able to protect the village only to find his team mate near death.

The Hyuuga could not hold it back; one lonely tear made its way down his pale cheek. An arm was suddenly laid on his shoulder, and he looked up, startled. Gai's face swam into his blur vision.

"He'll be fine Neji", Gai said. "Lee is a fighter. Kakashi said he has a strong will, and you of all people should know that."

"I-I know but…" Neji wiped his eyes. "You get scared when you see your friend lying on the ground, not responding! For a moment I thought he was already dead!"

Gai was surprised over Neji's outburst. Since the Chuunin Exams and Uzumaki Naruto, Neji had grown closer to Lee and started appreciate their friendship, so it was no wonder Neji was afraid he might loose his friend.

The green-dressed Jounin did the only thing that crossed his mind; he pulled the Hyuuga close and gave his student a hug. He did not expect to be hugged back, but he certainly was.

Neji's barriers held for a moment when Gai had pulled him in an embrace, and then they all crumbled. He cried into Gai's shoulder, gripping the Jounin vest with all his power and was shaking all over. Gai circled his right hand on Neji's back in a soothing manner, and held the boy close with his left arm. That was how Hinata and Kurenai found them.

-

Hinata looked around and suddenly stopped. Kurenai looked at the pale-eyed kunoichi and said:

"What's wrong?"

"Neji-san… is crying", Hinata whispered.

Kurenai followed Hinata's gaze and found Gai holding the older Hyuuga tightly in his arms. The Hyuuga himself hid his face, but his shaking body gave him away. They both approached and Hinata carefully said:

"Is Neji-san alright?"

"You get a shock when you find your best friend nearly dead", Gai said sadly and tightened his hold on Neji. "Neji was unprepared to find Lee in this condition. He will soon calm down, so don't worry Hinata."

Neji seemed not to be able to register any of them, since he stayed in Gai's embrace even after he stopped crying. Gai gently moved his right hand to pat Neji's head.

"You feeling a bit better now, Neji?" he asked.

Neji gave a small nod but still did not move. Kurenai said to Hinata:

"I think we should leave them alone for a little while."

Hinata nodded but carefully approached. Neji looked up at her and she said:

"I'm sure Lee-san will be alright. Just rest a bit Neji-san."

She gave him a small hug and with a reassuring smile they moved on. Neji looked after her and then leaned back at Gai's chest.

"Just close your eyes for a minute and rest", Gai said. "You will need it to be able to withstand Lee's stamina later."

Neji found himself smiling and nodded a bit. He closed his eyes and almost immediately fell asleep. Gai laid him down next to Lee on a blanket and stood up to keep watch after Tenten. He could already feel her chakra, a bit low but steady, heading towards them. She must be worried, since she had not met them even once during the attack.

-

The next Hinata spotted was Sasuke. He was sitting with his legs outstretched so that a nurse could heal them. Kurenai looked at him, all the bandages and said:

"Looks like he suffered some heavy damages."

Hinata's heart almost stopped when she saw Naruto being carried by his sensei Kakashi. Naruto had become one of her best friends, her crush on him long forgotten. She saw him almost as a brother. But she sighed of relief when she noticed he was full awake and talking to Kakashi. Iruka was sitting near Sasuke, most of his wounds already healed. A nurse moved to help Naruto and Kakashi.

"Seems like they're in good care", Kurenai murmured.

"Un."

"That's good", Kurenai said. "How about we go and say hello?"

They moved to towards them and Naruto spotted them.

"Hinata-san! Kurenai-san!"

"Are you alright?" Hinata said. "Both you and Sasuke-san are a mess."

"We're fine, right Sasuke?" Naruto said.

Sasuke gave a thumb up as the nurse finished with him. He stood up, and slowly walked around. The Uchiha sighed of relief and said:

"I don't think I've ever appreciate walking but I think I'll start now."

"Me too", Naruto said. "It really hurts when you have to walk with bleeding feet."

"Bleeding feet?" Hinata shrieked.

"Sasuke was worse; he couldn't use his legs at all", Naruto said.

"Damn those missing-nins", Sasuke muttered. "First I got injured in the explosion, then some missing-nins comes and mess with us. I knew I shouldn't have got from the bed this morning."

"Just when you've recovered from chakra exhaustion", Naruto said, "this happens. Lucky us, Suna came."

"They said something that they found out the plan that this new group had made", Kurenai said.

"Yeah, Kankuro said so as well", Naruto said.

Sasuke nodded. The nurse finished with Naruto and Kakashi did the bandaging so that the nurse could help others.

"Have you seen any others of the Genins?" Kurenai said.

"Shikamaru and Chouji are just over there with Shikaku", Naruto said and pointed. "Ino is in the part of the hospital that is safe Asuma-san said. I assume you met Neji and Lee. I spotted Tsunade-sama not long ago; she is helping the medic-nins."

"Sakura is helping out as well", Kakashi said. "Somewhere further up. Maybe she's helping those who got trapped inside the building when it fell, I saw her around there."

"That's pretty much all of them. Have you met Shino and Kiba?" Naruto said.

"Yeah, they're alright", Hinata said. "I didn't see Akamaru though…"

"He was with Kiba's sister I think", Sasuke said and pointed. "I saw them only a few minutes ago."

"Thank you, and get better soon", Hinata said and they walked to find Kiba's sister.

-

Tenten was panting and had her hands on her knees. She had run to the hospital the moment she was allowed and was looking frantically after any signs of her team. Suddenly she spotted Gai. She broke into a run and he spotted her. She came to him, and saw her two team mates lying on the ground.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Neji is just asleep, and Lee woke up just a few moments ago", Gai said reassuringly. "Lee had some serious damages, but we got here in time, so he just needs to rest to regain his strength."

"Okay", she said with a smile. "That's good. What happened to Neji then?"

"I guess he realized that Lee indeed is a dear friend to him."

"About time", she murmured as she got down between them. She looked at Lee's pale face and then over to Neji's equally pale face. She traced the lines of tears that had fallen not long ago with her fingertips.

"What? Neji cried?" she said and looked at Gai.

Gai nodded a bit and sat down in front of her.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Me? I'm fine", Tenten said. "You look out of breath though."

"I'm older than you, respect your elders", Gai muttered and she laughed.

"Where is the fire of youth you and Lee are so obsessed about?" she said.

"Fire of youth is out for the moment, can I take a message?" Gai said while sounding like an answer machine, making Tenten laugh again.

Neji opened his eyes and Tenten looked at him.

"Hi, glad you' awake", she said.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Gai gave him a canteen with water and said:

"You may want to wash your face."

Neji nodded and accepted the canteen. He spilled some water in his cupped palm and washed his face. He looked over to Lee then and to his delight Gai said:

"He was awake. He'll be fine, just as I said."

Neji nodded again, not trusting his voice just yet. He took a clunk from the canteen and sat back against a pile of debris. Gai and Tenten still eyed him carefully and he quietly spoke:

"I'm fine."

"I thought you lost your voice", Tenten said. "You don't look alright."

Neji looked down on his slightly shaking hand. Gai moved over and sat down next to the Hyuuga. Instead of words, Gai just put an arm around him and let him be. Neji brought his legs to his chest and rested his head on the knees.

"What's wrong?" Gai asked.

"I'm just tired", a rasp of Neji's normal voice answered.

Gai gently tilted up Neji's head. He looked up at his sensei, tears of joy sliding down his cheeks. Tenten smiled at him from her spot next to Lee. They all looked at each other and were surprised when they heard Lee's voice:

"Why do you all look so sad?"

They turned their eyes to the last member of team Gai and Lee smiled at them.

"Neji, don't look so sad", he continued. "I'm fine."

Neji's breath hitched and he choked back a sob. Tenten helped her friend to sit up and carefully hugged him at the same time.

"You made us worried", she murmured. "You made us really worried."

Gai and Neji came forth and Gai hugged the miniature of himself while smiling. When Gai let go of him, Lee turned to Neji. The boy extended his hand and gently closed it around the Hyuuga's wrist. He gave a slight pull and Neji got closer.

"Don't look so sad", he repeated. "It doesn't fit you to look sad."

The break point. Neji flung his arms around his friend, mindful about the injuries, and broke into tears again.

"I swear, I'll kill you if you make me this worried again", Neji cried out.

Lee grinned and said:

"I'm quite sorry for that then. Thanks for thinking on me."

"Of course I think of you, you're my friend and I don't like seeing my friend pale as a sheet", Neji said.

Gai and Tenten still held onto Lee's shoulders and all of them gave a sigh of relief. Team Gai was okay.

-

Naruto sat with Gaara. The Suna shinobi stared at the debris, the blood and finally the people running around.

"How many of the enemy did we catch?" Naruto said.

"Around ten out of sixty", Gaara answered.

"Sixty?? That's a high number", Naruto said.

"Some of them weren't missing-nins", the redhead said. "Some of them were amateurs that thought they could take out one shinobi or more."

"Why does this keep happening to us?" Naruto whined.

Gaara shrugged.

"Bad luck?" he offered.

"Then luck must hate me", Naruto muttered.

Gaara shook his head, amused. Naruto smiled a bit and then took Gaara's hand. Gaara spun his head and said:

"Why did you do that?"

"Dunno… felt like it", Naruto said. "Does it bother you?"

Gaara shook his head; it did not. Naruto's hand was soft and warm. He liked the feeling of holding Naruto's hand. Gaara turned his hand a little, taking Naruto's hand completely. Naruto looked at Gaara and smiled. He felt a warm feeling spreading in his chest, up to his head and down to his toes, even spreading out to his fingertips. Iruka had talked about the warm feeling you get when you fall in love. Naruto felt the same now. And the strangest thing was; he did not feel like this kind of love was wrong at all.

"Naruto…"

"Mm? What is it, Gaara?"

Gaara looked down on his feet and mumbled:

"I got this strange feeling in my chest."

"What kind of feeling?" Naruto said.

"It's warm and comforting", Gaara said and looked at the blonde.

They both stared at each other for a good while. Then Naruto checked the area, concluded no one was watching, and no one would watch, and then leaned closer. His heart was razing and he bit his lip. Then he screwed logic, his sense, the fact that Gaara could kill him for this, leaned in and gave Gaara a kiss on the cheek.

-

Gaara stared shocked at Naruto. The blonde looked back at him. Then Gaara smiled and kissed Naruto on the lips.

"Did that feel good?" Gaara said.

"Yes", Naruto whispered against the redhead's lips.

"Good", Gaara said and caressed one whisked cheek.

-

Iruka looked at the both boys. Kakashi came forth and said:

"I guess Naruto was serious when he called Gaara his knight in shining armour."

"They look cute together", Iruka said.

Kakashi grinned and nodded. Suddenly a voice spoke up:

"He looks happy."

The two adults spun around and found a smiling Sasuke.

"You hoped for this?" Iruka said.

"The way Naruto spoke about Gaara before showed me Naruto liked Gaara a lot", Sasuke said. "And I think Gaara liked him as well."

"Woah, we got an Uchiha matchmaker", Kakashi said.

"Shut up", Sasuke said and attacked his sensei.

"Now, now, calm down children", Iruka said and pried the both Sharingan-users from each other. "If you're going to play, play nicely."

"You sound like a mother", Kakashi whined.

"Maybe I shouldn't have let Naruto call me 'mom' when he was younger", Iruka said. "It begins rubbing off on me."

"He called you mother?" Sasuke asked.

"Got a problem with it?" Kakashi said. "Wanna call Iruka 'mother' as well?"

"Shut up!"

"You shut up!"

"Now, now, calm down children…" Iruka sighed and pried to Sharingan-users from each other once more.

-

Naruto looked back at his odd 'family' and smiled.

"Is Sasuke a nice guy?" Gaara said.

"Yeah, he's okay", Naruto said. "Before he was an asshole to me, but he realized what he was doing. He actually apologized to me for that."

Gaara nodded. Suddenly Temari and Kankuro came in vision. Kankuro had not his catlike hat and had bandages around his head. He was limping slightly but still was strong enough to carry Karasu with him. Temari was a dirty and had a few scratches. Gaara stood up and then looked at Naruto.

"I won't run away just because you want to see if your family is okay", Naruto said.

Gaara gave Naruto's hand a squeeze and then walked over to his siblings. Kankuro and Temari spotted their youngest sibling and smiled.

"Everything alright here?" Kankuro said.

"Aa", Gaara said. "What happened to you?"

"Some stupid missing-nin fucker decided to have fun and cut off my chakra strings. Man, that cut in the leg hurt."

"Idiot", Temari muttered. "That's why I said you need to practice something more than just being a puppeteer."

"I'm trying", Kankuro said. "I'm practicing Taijutsu every day."

Gaara looked on his siblings as they bickered back and forth. They stopped when they noticed him smiling.

"Gaara? Is everything alright?" Temari said.

"Everything is great Temari", Gaara said. "Greater than ever."

With that, he turned around and walked towards Naruto. Kankuro and Temari looked at each other.

"Do you think someone drugged him?" Temari said.

"Maybe", Kankuro said. "Something's going on."

"Are you coming?" Gaara said.

"Yes!" they both said in union and started walking.

Temari looked around and suddenly Kankuro bumped her elbow.

"What?" she asked.

"I know what's going on with Gaara", Kankuro said and smiled. "He's just a bit lovesick."

"Lovesick?? _Gaara_??" Temari was confused.

"Just look", Kankuro said. "Gaara found himself a cute blonde."

Temari looked and could not help but smile. She had looked just in time to see Gaara give Naruto a kiss. Naruto smiled at the redhead and led him to Kakashi, Iruka and Sasuke.

"He gets here to fight for Konoha, and find someone to love", she said. "So unfair!"

"I was thinking the same", Kankuro said. "He's the most unsocial little brother you can get, and yet he finds someone that easily! I gotta ask what his trick was…"

Temari laughed at her brother, while Kankuro pouted.

-

Tsunade walked around, giving help whenever someone needed. Baki was with the Suna shinobis, spreading them out in two-man teams so that could scout. The Hokage spotted her student, Sakura, and called out for her. Sakura perked up and walked to her.

"Everything alright here?" Tsunade said.

"Yes, we are done with the digging of the debris and I've sent out unharmed shinobis with medic-nins to other places where buildings has crashed", Sakura said.

"Very good", Tsunade said. "Have you seen your team?"

"Yes, they are not far from here if I remember correctly", Sakura said. "I saw Hinata and Kurenai and got information from them; everyone from Rookie Nine and Gai-san's team is alive."

"That's great news", Tsunade said. "I'm off then, take care."

"You too, Tsunade-sama", Sakura said and returned to work.

-

Shikamaru woke up to hearing his dad and Tsunade speak. He shifted his head over his… human pillow, whoever it was, and cracked one eye open. All the colours swam together and he groaned.

"Well, hello there", Tsunade said. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm having one of dad's hangovers", Shikamaru muttered.

Shikaku growled at his son whilst Chouji laughed and Shikamaru more heard the rumble from his pillow than the real laughter. He lifted his head a bit more to confirm. Yep, he was lying with his head on Chouji's chest. He looked with questioning eyes first on Chouji, then on his father.

"You had a nightmare", Shikaku said, "and didn't calm down until Chouji dragged your head to his chest. Apparently after hearing his heartbeat you calmed down."

"I dreamed I was attacked again", Shikamaru mumbled. "This time, Chouji came too early and they killed him."

Tsunade, Shikaku and Chouji were quiet. Shikamaru dropped his head back on Chouji's chest and continued:

"I always calm down when I hear Chouji's heart beat. Then I know he's still alive."

Chouji sat up, carefully moving Shikamaru with him. This ended up with Shikamaru almost sitting in Chouji's lap. Shikamaru avoided looking at anyone, just kept his eyes on his hands.

"As I said", Chouji said, "you really are extra troublesome today."

That broke the tension. Shikamaru smiled weakly, looked up at Chouji with tears shining in his dark eyes as he said:

"Quit stealing my lines, troublesome being."

Tsunade and Shikaku smiled at them. Shikamaru's tears gently started falling but he still smiled through them. Chouji wiped away the moisture from Shikamaru's cheeks with his thumb and said:

"Maybe I like being a troublesome being."

"Today you certainly are one", Shikamaru said. "But if you hadn't been one, I would probably be dead long ago. Thank you Chouji."

"No problem Shika", Chouji grinned.

-

Shino had not woke up during Shibi's and Kiba's talk. Now Kiba was starting to miss his closest friend, Akamaru. Shibi let his eyes scan the area, looking for the little dog as well. Suddenly there was a voice behind them shouting:

"Oh my god, Kiba!"

Kiba turned around, and saw his sister Hana ran towards him, Akamaru close behind.

"Sis! Akamaru!" he called out happily.

Akamaru ran ahead and practically threw himself into Kiba's arms while barking, loudly. Shino stirred and groaned. Kiba saw this and said to Akamaru:

"I'm happy to see you too, but you need to be a bit quieter. Shino needs to rest, okay?"

Akamaru let out a bark, saying he understood and proceeded to lick Kiba in the face. Hana came and hugged her little brother tightly.

"Oh god, you made me worry you stupid idiot!" she said fiercely.

"Heh, sorry sis", Kiba said and wrapped his arms around her.

Shibi once again reflected how strange way an Inuzuka woman showed her concern. Deciding it was not his business, he carefully lifted himself and his son from the ground and said quietly:

"I will leave you so you can speak in peace."

"Okay, thanks for staying with me, Shibi-san", Kiba said.

"No problem", Shibi said.

Hana looked at the retreating Aburame and said:

"That's the longest sentence I've ever heard him speak."

"Yeah? We spoke for like 30 minutes. Until today, I wasn't sure if an Aburame can laugh, but now it's confirmed that they can. Or at least Shino's dad can."

"You spoke with him?" Hana said. "Kiba, he's the head of his clan."

"I know", Kiba said. "He's nice to talk to. You may think it's gonna be awkward but I've never had that problem with Shino and now Shibi-san. They're easy to talk to."

"Okay", Hana said. "You're kinda impressive since no one has succeeded speaking more than two minutes with an Aburame. Now how are you?"

"I'm fine; I'm pretty much healed", Kiba said as he stroke Akamaru's fur. "Were you and Akamaru okay?"

"Do you realize how scared I got when Akamaru came without you and mom?" Hana said. "He nearly got killed."

Kiba looked down on Akamaru, who barked at him.

"Don't do that again", Kiba hissed. "I don't want you to worry sis like that."

Another bark.

"No, I wasn't dying!"

Accusing barking.

"Come on, I woke up and was fine!"

More barking. This time Kiba stared in shock at his dog-friend. Long enough for Hana to say:

"What?"

"He said… he said Shino saved me while I was unconscious. He said Shino used up every bit of strength he had to protect me."

Kiba continued to stare at Akamaru. The said dog barked again.

"What?? Didn't I just tell you I wasn't dying?!"

Hana smiled and looked on as Kiba and Akamaru argued. Just like old times. She felt something behind her and turned around. Tsume and Kuromaru came walking. The youngest of the whole pack stopped fighting and looked on as Tsume approached with Kuromaru. Tsume knelt down and plucked Akamaru from Kiba. Kuromaru nudged Akamaru with him, and the two of them left.

"Mom?" Kiba said. "What's wrong?"

Kiba had never seen his mother so sad.

"I just got the news; I lost my nephew", Tsume said. "Your cousin Kiba." (AN/ Making up this, don't know anything about Kiba's further family than his mom and sister)

Kiba froze. He only had one cousin on his mother's side. Hana looked at Tsume with wide eyes.

"N-no way", he said. "You're kidding right?"

"No, I'm not", Tsume said. "They found his body 20 minutes ago."

"No…"

Tsume hugged her son and Hana crept closer. Tsume hugged her daughter as well and held Kiba tighter as his shoulders started to shake. Tsume felt him cling on her for dear life and she moved her hand in a soothing manner, as Gai had made with Neji not too long ago.

Akamaru and Kuromaru came a few minutes later. Tsume still held Kiba, his eyes red and his whole body was sagged in her arms. Akamaru whined and licked Kiba's hand. The Inuzuka boy lifted Akamaru into his lap and held the dog close. Kuromaru sat down next to Tsume and laid his head on her shoulder. Her tears were sliding down her cheeks yet she was silent as a grave.

-

The day started to lead to its end and many went to their homes. Some who had lost their homes were given shelter by others. Naruto was currently heading home together with Kakashi and Iruka, but had some more company. Gaara and his siblings had agreed to spend the night, and the two adults more or less forced Sasuke. They had used the excuse that the Uchiha mansion was too big and empty after a day like this. Sasuke agreed to that.

They were walking down the street to their pretty much unharmed house. There were marks from kunais and shurikens but that could easily be fixed. Iruka ushered them all in and wanted them to take a bath. They had to bathrooms, both with bathtubs so Iruka decided that Naruto and Kankuro would take a bath first. He then picked Sasuke and Kakashi. Temari and Gaara were next, and Iruka last. No one dared to speak against the academy teacher and moved on to follow his orders.

-

Shino sat on his bed and was looking outside. He had fallen asleep outside with Kiba and father at his side, and woke up in his bed. It was already dark outside. Shino took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He lay down, carefully, and pulled the blankets over himself.

"Shino?"

He sat up and saw Shibi look at him.

"Yes?" he said.

"You have a visitor", Shibi said.

Shino nodded and his father opened the door completely. Kiba came inside and Shino was surprised for a while. Kiba looked as Shibi closed the door and then turned to Shino.

"Sorry to bother you", he said. "It's just that mom didn't want me to go inside our house. It had been… some stuff going on inside earlier today."

"It's okay", Shino said and rose up. "Where is Akamaru?"

"He's with Kuromaru", Kiba said. "Mom said it was better that way, just for tonight."

Shino nodded. Kiba watched on, fascinated, as Shino went to his closet and dragged out a spare futon. The dog-boy got alert as Shino hissed and clutched his side.

"Need help?"

"If you don't mind", Shino whispered and turned his eyes towards Kiba.

Kiba noticed first now that Shino did not have his glasses on. He had dark eyes and they were filled with pain. Kiba helped Shino getting the spare futon ready. With that task done, Shino sat down on his own bed. Kiba sat down on the futon, looked around for a bit before saying:

"Thanks."

"For what?" Shino said.

"Akamaru told me… he told me you protected me", Kiba said softly.

"You're my friend", Shino said. "Of course I protected you."

Kiba smiled lightly at the bug-user. Shino lay down and said:

"We better get some rest."

"You've been asleep far more than me today", Kiba teased.

"I… I like sleeping", Shino said.

"Your dad told me so", Kiba said and chuckled. "Is it true he have to drag you out of bed?"

"… Sometimes", Shino said.

Kiba laughed and Shino swore he would make his father go through hell the next day.

-

Neji was currently resting on a spare futon in the hospital. It was cold and not too comfortable. He looked over at Lee, who seemed to think the same thing. The Hyuuga dragged the blanket tighter around himself and was startled when another blanket was laid upon him. He looked up and saw Hyuuga Hiashi, Hinata's father and his own uncle. Hiashi gave him a small smile before moving on and draping another blanket over Lee as well. Lee mumbled his thanks to the Hyuuga and Hiashi smiled again. He carefully strode down the hall after saying good bye to Neji.

Neji looked after his uncle and then snuggled into the extra blanket. Much warmer. Good.

-

Shikamaru looked at the ceiling of his room, deep in thoughts. He was tired and wanted to sleep, but found himself unable to. So he lay on the floor and was thinking.

It was a knock on the door and his mother looked in.

"You alright?" she said. "You should be asleep by now."

"I'm fine mom", Shikamaru said. "I was on my way going to bed."

She nodded and closed the door again. Shikamaru sat up, carefully, and with the help of a chair he got up on his feet. He stumbled to his bed and lay down with a groan. This was going to be a long night.

-

Sakura curled up on her futon, eyes still on Ino. The girl had awoken and then fallen asleep again. The pink-haired kunoichi could still hear Tsunade and Baki call out orders. She heard people running, so she guessed some had already started fixing the buildings. She shivered and closed her eyes. She wondered briefly how Sasuke and Naruto were doing. She had seen Naruto with Kakashi and Iruka and only then dumbly realized they had lived together. She sent a silent good night to both of her team mates and lay down to get some rest.

-

Hinata was taking a midnight stroll in the garden. She looked up at the sky and allowed herself to smile a tiny bit. The stars were shining down on her and the moonlight cast shadows around her. She felt her father's chakra closing in to the mansion and tiptoed back to her room. She would get scolded if he found out she had taken a walk alone so soon after an attack. And she did not want any branch members to suffer either.

-

Chouji looked at a picture on him and Shikamaru while sitting on his bed. Untouched food stood on his desk, which was a worrying sign. Chouji never turned down food.

The Akimichi boy took the picture in his hands and leaned back against the wall. They were sitting on a bridge, Shikamaru pointing up on a cloud whilst himself followed the Nara's finger to see what the boy had found so interesting. Chouji smiled; he liked that picture. It was a simple picture taking directly from one of their hobbits; Shikamaru watching clouds and Chouji just being with him.

He carefully put it back and lay down on the bed. Maybe he would ask if his mom could make him his favourite breakfast and if he could invite Shikamaru. The Nara boy had never been able to say no to Chouji's mom's cooking.

-

Tenten woke up and felt thirsty. She tiptoed to the kitchen to not wake up her parents. Her thoughts drifted to Lee, and she looked outside. Shinobis was still moving around, making sure there would be no more attack. She drank her water and tiptoed back. Lee was safe with Neji she decided and set for waking up early so she could visit them.

-

Gaara looked around in Naruto's room, newly bathed and borrowed clothes from his blonde. Naruto came in and said:

"Not much to a normal room, but I like it."

"It's nice", Gaara said.

Naruto smiled and dumped the extra pillows and blankets Iruka had given him even though Gaara did not sleep.

"Temari is in the guestroom", Naruto said and showed Gaara, "and Kankuro will sleep on the couch in the living room. Be careful if you decide to take a walk in there, Sasuke will be there as well. Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei is in the master bedroom down the hall."

Gaara nodded and tried to remember all that. Since he did not sleep, Gaara liked walking around. Often he would be found sitting by Kankuro's side as his older brother slept, but now he would probably stay with Naruto. That did not mean he would not check on his siblings. He always did back home.

Suddenly Kakashi appeared with a grin behind his mask.

"You familiar with the house yet?"

"Pretty much", Gaara said.

"If you decide to molest Naruto tonight, try not make so much noise", Kakashi said.

In the next moment he got a pillow in his face by Naruto, a loud shriek from both Iruka and Temari and both Kankuro and Sasuke were laughing hard.

"You damn pervert!" Iruka screamed together with Gaara's sister.

Gaara himself stood with gaping mouth as Kakashi laughed. Kankuro fell on the floor and wiped his eyes while still holding his stomach.

"Man, I never really thought he would be such a pervert", Kankuro said. "I guess I was wrong."

Naruto took up his pillow and hit Kakashi again. Sasuke stumbled into the living room and collapsed on his futon in laughter. Gaara huffed but helped his big brother up on his feet and had to hold onto him, since Kankuro had broken out in a new fit of laughter by seeing the great Copy ninja being chased by an enraged Genin.

They calmed down after a while, and Kakashi had now a sore back since Naruto had tackled him to the ground. They went to bed; Temari for herself, Kakashi and Iruka together, Kankuro and Sasuke got comfy in the living room and last Gaara and Naruto in Naruto's room.

Gaara sat down on the bed where Naruto laid.

"How is it like?" Naruto said.

"How is what like?"

"Not being able to sleep", Naruto said.

"I've never thought of it", Gaara confessed. "It's not fun, but I've found ways to occupy myself."

"What do you do then?" the blonde asked as he inched closer.

Gaara took Naruto's hand and kissed the palm. He stroked it with his thumbs and said:

"I sit by Kankuro mostly. He suffers from nightmares. He said once he liked waking up from a nightmare and see me sit by his side. He said it meant he wasn't alone."

Naruto looked at Gaara and said:

"I would like that as well."

Gaara looked at Naruto who continued:

"When I was a kid, I had nightmares. Kyuubi woke me up in my mindscape. He would just sit with me until I fell asleep again, and if I didn't, he would sometimes tell me stories. When I grew older they grew less, but they almost stopped when I met you. Now they only come once in every few months, and they don't scare me anymore."

Naruto smiled and tugged Gaara closer. Gaara kissed Naruto on the forehead and then on the lips and murmured:

"Go to sleep."

Naruto nodded and closed his eyes. Gaara tucked him in and held his hand until he was certain the blonde was asleep. Even after that, he continued to stroke Naruto's hand. He did not know how long he sat there, but the moon was shining on Naruto's face when he finally stood up. Gaara opened the door and softly padded to the guestroom where Temari was sleeping. He looked in and made sure she was alright before going to the living room. Sasuke was sleeping quietly, but Kankuro had started sweating and thrashing around. Gaara sat down on the couch, near Kankuro's face and shook him lightly. Kankuro woke with a gasp, and almost sat up. But Gaara held his hand on Kankuro's chest and softly whispered:

"Just a bad dream Kankuro. Go back to sleep."

Kankuro, still half asleep, nodded and closed his eyes. Gaara took a moment to study his brother in the moonlight. Without the face paint he and Kankuro looked alike a lot more. Gaara let his hand caress Kankuro's brown hair and the older boy gave out a pleasant groan. His body went limp on the couch and soon Kankuro was asleep. Gaara dragged the blanket tighter around his brother and failed to notice Sasuke's onyx eyes follow his movements. The Uchiha smiled slightly; the redhead was a good person for Naruto. Gaara patted his brother's head and rose up. He walked silently to the kitchen and opened the kitchen window. He let the wind caress his face for a few minutes before deciding go back to the blonde's room.

-

Kankuro woke up with the sun directly shining in his eyes. He groaned and then coughed. His head was pounding thanks to his wound and he rolled over to hide himself. Suddenly someone put a hand on his shoulder. He cracked one eye open and looked up at Gaara. The redhead held a glass of water for him.

"Is that for me?" Kankuro said with a small groan.

Gaara nodded and helped him sit up. Kankuro gulped down the water and then muttered a 'thanks' to his brother. Gaara gently touched the bandaged wound and Kankuro hissed.

"Is it infected?" Gaara said.

"Temari cleaned it yesterday for me", Kankuro said, "it shouldn't be."

Gaara unwrapped the bandages and Kankuro said:

"What's the time?"

"Nine in the morning", Gaara said. "You were the only one still asleep."

"Well, excuse me", Kankuro muttered.

"It's okay", Gaara said. "I like watching you sleep."

Kankuro glanced at Gaara.

"You've really changed", the older boy said. "All since you met Naruto."

"You like me better now?" Gaara said.

"Hell yeah", Kankuro said. "Before, I was terrified that you would find out I was having nightmares."

Gaara just looked at him, then smiled slightly. He disappeared into the kitchen and then came back with some water and a cloth. He dampened the cloth and gently cleaned the wound. Temari came in and said:

"Morning, sleepy-head."

"Shut up", Kankuro growled and Temari laughed.

Naruto and Sasuke came inside from the training ground they had through the living room door.

"What the hell have you been doing?" Kankuro said as he noticed their dirty clothes.

"Training", Sasuke answered.

"We were bored", Naruto continued.

Kankuro made a small 'oh' and the both boys went to change. Sasuke went back to his house but would come right back after that. Naruto went to his room. Iruka came in with some food to the middle sibling. Kakashi stretched as he emerged from the bathroom. He was dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt and black sweatpants. He certainly did not look like Copy ninja at that moment. His mask was still on place but he had no hitai-ate. He directed his mismatched set of eyes to Kankuro and said:

"And here I thought I liked to sleep long."

"Shut up!" Kankuro snapped and Temari burst into laughter again.

Gaara just ordered Kankuro to sit still while he bandaged his head again and Iruka then ordered the brown-haired boy to eat.

Naruto came back and Gaara found himself staring at his blonde as he had only seen Naruto either in battle clothes or that hideous orange jump suit back then when he faked his whole life. The blonde wore a loose long-sleeved shirt with a red colour and black shinobi pants. He wore no pouch or kunai holster nor a hitai-ate. It seemed to be an unwritten rule to not wear hitai-ates in this house. First now Gaara noticed Temari had removed hers, and Iruka was missing his as well. Gaara had left his with his gourd in Naruto's room. Naruto stretched and Sasuke emerged again. He had his normal outfit on, minus the hitai-ate.

"Tsunade-sama ordered all Jounins to gather at her office", Sasuke said. "A messenger just told me."

"Aah, that means I need to change clothes", Kakashi whined.

"Don't make her wait!" Iruka ordered and Kakashi made a run to their room.

In less than a minute he emerged again fully dressed. He tied the hitai-ate on its usual place, kissed Iruka good bye, despite the 'eewws' from the others, and then said:

"Okay, behave nicely children!"

"Children!" Temari roared and gripped her fan. "You're dead!"

Kakashi shrieked and made another note to NOT mess with Temari ever again. He ran out and jumped up on the building to get to the Hokage Tower.

-

Tsunade was surprised when Kakashi was one of the first to arrive. He leaned against the wall and she said to him:

"How's the people in your house doing?"

"Fine", Kakashi said. "Kankuro woke up only around ten minutes ago."

"So you had the Suna siblings?" she said.

The Copy-nin nodded as more Jounins arrived. When they all had gathered she spoke up with Baki and Jiraiya by her side:

"Thanks to Jiraiya and Baki-san we know who the leader o this group is."

Murmurs went through the Jounins. She held up a hand and said:

"His name is Blood Fang, and he is known for his passionate hate against Konoha."

Tbc…

* * *

(1) Yeah, yeah

(2) Good luck

All my chapters are different sizes have you noticed that? Hope you liked the chapter. I'll try update more often, it's just that I'm lazy or I forget to write. I got so many other stuff to do. Let's see if I get any better. In case you wonder about Lee and Gai, let's say I've decided to make them just a bit more serious. They will still rant about 'fire of youth' at some time so don't you worry.

Until next time,

Ja,

Tiro


	7. Chapter 7

**The Chibi accident and Kakashi's discovery**

**Pairings: KakaIru, GaaNaru and the new pairing I decided, SasukeKankuro!**

Tiro here. Chapter 7 up now. A softy chapter this time. I got a wild idea about Sasuke and Kankuro falling in love, and decided that was a good idea. Don't complain; I kinda like the pairing, and I'm sure they are good for each other. Enjoy!

-

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"_Talking in mind" _(mostly Gaara and Naruto when they speak to their Bijus)

"**Demons speaking"**

**

* * *

**

**Ch****. 7: ****Rebuilding ****Lives**

_Previously on chapter 6:_

"_His name is Blood Fang, and he is known for his passionate hate against Konoha."_

-

Silence stretched inside her office. Finally Kurenai spoke up:

"What will we do?"

"Nothing", Tsunade said. "We will build up our village and prepare for his next attack. When that comes, we will crush him."

The Jounins looked at their leader as if she was crazy. Tsunade smirked and said:

"I know Blood Fang. He is strong, but rather stupid. He will attack again but this time it will be different. I've already arranged scouts from Inuzuka clan and Aburame clan, since Aburame Shino was the one who first discovered the enemy. We will take our time and gather information and build this village strong again. Is that clear?"

"Hai!" the Jounins said in union.

"Good. We will continue as usual with out missions but right now we cannot accept too many. I doubt there will be an attack from Blood Fang in the next months but we still need to be careful. You're dismissed, but I would like to talk to Kakashi, Gai, Asuma and Kurenai."

Everyone but the four Jounins left. Jiraiya made a small wave and disappeared out the window. Baki bowed his head slightly and was gone. Tsunade looked at them and said:

"Report on your team, starting with Kakashi."

"Hai", Kakashi said. "My team has suffered minor injuries, but no serious. Sasuke and Naruto were sparring only a half-hour ago. Sakura is one the hospital watching over Ino, but she's doing fine otherwise."

"Good. Asuma?"

"Ino has yet to wake up, but she's stable. I don't know how badly injured she is until she wakes up. Chouji is unharmed but Shikamaru is in no condition to fight. He needs some time to heal."

"I saw that yesterday", Tsunade said and nodded. "I will get the results on Ino today, hopefully it's good news. Kurenai?"

"Both Shino and Kiba needs to recover", Kurenai said. "Hinata is alright; she spoke something about helping in the hospital."

"Yes, she spoke to me about it", the Hokage said. "And your students Gai?"

"Lee will need some time to get up on his feet, but both Tenten and Neji are alright", Gai said.

"Don't think I was going to send them on missions", Tsunade said. "I just wanted to get a view over them all, so I know what to do. I want you all to relax today; tomorrow we will start rebuilding Konoha. Dismissed."

They all bowed and disappeared. They stood on the roof of the Hokage Tower and Kurenai said:

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll probably be by the hospital with my team", Gai said.

"I was thinking about seeing how Ino was doing and then try to lure out the boys to relax a bit", Asuma said.

"I'll go and see how Sakura is doing, then I'll go home", Kakashi said.

"Aren't you gonna check on Sasuke?" they all said in union.

"He spent the night there, and I doubt he has left", Kakashi said. "What about you Kurenai?"

"I'm going to check on Shino and Kiba first, and then I'll find Hinata", Kurenai said.

"Well, have a nice day", Kakashi said. "Ja."

With that, he jumped down and leaped away.

-

Shikamaru woke up with a start, sweat trickling down his face. His whole body was shaking and he was not aware that he had shouted until his father came into the room. Shikaku sat down and gripped his son's shoulder carefully.

"Shikamaru? Shikamaru, did you have a nightmare?"

Shikamaru did not answer; he had started hyperventilating and Shikaku shook him while saying:

"Shikamaru, snap out of it!"

Shikamaru looked at Shikaku, finally registering him.

"D-dad?"

"Yeah, it's me", Shikaku murmured softly. "It's alright now, just a bad dream."

Shikamaru took a few breaths and choked back on the tears threatening to fall. He leaned forward, and Shikaku patted his back.

"Think you can sleep some more?" Shikaku asked to confirm his suspicions.

And he was right. Shikamaru shook his head violently and Shikaku sighed.

"Okay, then do you want some breakfast? Your mother is not here, but…"

"My mom is home, and she would be more than happy to invite Shika", a voice from the door said and the both Nara looked up.

Chouji smiled at them and Shikamaru felt his tension melt away. He looked at his dad who said:

"Go with him. Chouji's mother is far better than me on making breakfast."

"Thanks dad", Shikamaru said and got up. "I just need to change my clothes, Chouji."

"I'll wait downstairs", Chouji said.

Shikaku followed the Akimichi boy downstairs and Shikamaru changed clothes with shaking hands. He sat down and thought about the nightmare. He clutched his stomach as he remembered both from the nightmare and reality as the kunais imbedded themselves into his flesh. He shook his head and went downstairs while rubbing his eyes. This was going to be a long day as it had been a long night.

-

Shino cracked on eye open and looked around the sun filled room. Kiba was not there. Shino got up and staggered out; he could sense Kiba's chakra coming from the kitchen together with his father's and walked towards it.

Shibi looked up from a report he was reading and said:

"You woke up on your own. Congratulations."

"Quiet", Shino groaned and sat down.

"Good morning", Kiba said as Shino sat down next to him. "I woke up and felt hungry. Your mom had already made breakfast and since she said I was welcome to eat, I guessed it was okay. She said something about going and helping some people but I didn't really follow."

Shino nodded, not really following either since his brain had yet to wake up. He coughed, harshly and both Shibi and Kiba got alert.

Shino's mind was fuzzy and all he felt was pain in his lungs. He gasped for breath but was interrupted by another coughing fit. This time blood splattered on the table and Shibi was there in a moment, holding his son against his chest. Shino gulped in breaths with panic in his eyes and Kiba grabbed his hand and said:

"Calm down, Shino!"

They sat like that for a while even after Shino had calmed down. His father gave him water to drink and Kiba cleaned the table from blood. Shino's bugs had woken up and were now calming down their master. Shino felt he was getting sick and clamped both hands over his mouth. Shibi simply got up from the chair and in the bathroom. Kiba heard his friend and team mate puke and winced. The coughing that followed was not so good either. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

-

The door to Shino opened and Kurenai suddenly lost her ability to speak. Kiba looked at her and said:

"Are ya alright, sensei?"

"K-Kiba?" she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Mom told me to sleep over at a friend", Kiba said. "The house was a mess and all that stuff…"

Kurenai heard Shino cough and said:

"Is Shino okay?"

"Yesterday I thought so… Today I'm not so sure", Kiba said. "He's puking."

Kurenai followed the coughing and found father and son. Shibi looked up and said:

"I think we need a medic."

Shino spitted up more blood and clutched his stomach.

"Is he poisoned?" Kurenai said.

"I believe so", Shibi said. "Normally I would just send my bugs in to remove it, but it has been inside for too long. He may not survive unless we get Tsunade-sama here in the next thirty minutes."

"I'll get her for you!" Kurenai said and ran out.

Kiba sat down and said with worry and panic in his eyes:

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"I don't know", Shibi said. "I don't know."

-

Asuma looked on as Sakura and Ino talked. Tsunade would soon arrive and tell them about Ino's condition. He had been utterly relieved when he came and his female student was awake.

Tsunade came in and they all perked to attention. She looked at them before breaking out in a huge grin. She handed Sakura a clipboard and said:

"You're going to be fine, Ino. You may even get up form bed a bit today."

"You mean I can continue being a shinobi?" Ino said.

"Yep", Tsunade said. "The poison in your body had started spreading to your heart and lungs but we got it out in time."

Ino smiled and Sakura smiled as well, their rivalry temporary forgotten. Tsunade's and their happiness was short lived though. Kurenai came in, and Shizune came in after her while saying:

"I tried to stop her, Tsunade-sama!"

"Hokage-sama!" Kurenai shrieked and fell on her knees.

"What's wrong Kurenai?" Asuma said and bent down to the red eyed kunoichi.

"I-it's Shino!" Kurenai cried out and they all froze. "He's dying, you got to save him!"

"What?!" Tsunade roared.

"He's been poisoned and Shibi-san can't remove it!"

"Show me the way!" Tsunade said and then turned to Shizune. "Most likely it's the same poison as Ino suffered from, so get the antidote for it!"

"Hai!" Shizune said and disappeared.

Kurenai had gotten up and was ready to leave. The both women were gone in the next second. Asuma fell down on a chair and Sakura was gripping the wall. Ino was sitting on the bed and said:

"Impossible… Shino dying? That's impossible!"

"You were dying", Asuma said, "by the same poison."

"Still impossible!" Ino shouted and the other two stared at her. "I've seen Shino fight! I don't know so much about him, but he's not as weak as I am! Hinata said that he's strong, so how come he's dying?!"

"Wait…" Sakura said. "He got poisoned yesterday. It means the poison had spread during the night."

Ino looked at her.

"I hardly know him", Ino said quietly. "But I know Hinata pretty good, and she speaks about him with respect. He's strong and his bugs should be able to detect that poison."

"Even strong people makes mistakes", Asuma said. "Let's just hope we don't loose another strong shinobi today."

-

Neji backed away from the door after hearing Kurenai's shouts. Shino? He was on Hinata's team. That meant… The Hyuuga looked at Tenten and Lee who was talking wildly. They had not paid attention to the conversation. He looked out again and was met by Asuma's face.

"You worried about Hinata?" the man asked.

"A bit…" Neji said.

"I go and talk to her", Asuma said. "You stay with your friends."

With that, he was gone.

"Neji!"

Lee's voice made him turn to his team and they were grinning at him.

"What?" he said.

"You were spacing out", Tenten said.

"Was not."

"Was to."

"Was not!"

Lee looked on as Neji and Tenten argued. Gai emerged in the door and said:

"Seems like you're all doing okay."

"Gai-sensei!" Lee exclaimed.

"Sensei", Neji and Tenten said.

"How are you doing this lovely morning?" Gai said with a huge grin as he entered the room.

"Superb!" Lee said.

"Fine I guess", Tenten said.

"Tired", Neji muttered.

"Tired? Neji, have you lost your youthfulness?" Lee said.

"No!" Neji snapped.

gasp! "You have!"

"Have not!"

"You have!"

"Have not!"

Now it was Tenten's and Gai's turn to watch on as Neji and Lee argued.

"Seems like they both are fine", Gai said.

"Just like old times", Tenten said with a grin.

-

Shikamaru stared at the sky, Chouji munching on some food next to him.

"Your dad said you had nightmares", Chouji quietly said.

Shikamaru did not answer at first. Then he sighed, closed his eyes and said:

"Troublesome…"

"Shika, did you have nightmares?"

"Yeah… kinda… all I remember is the pain", Shikamaru mumbled and stretched. "Man, I'm tired…"

"Maybe you should take a nap", Chouji said.

"I will only wake up screaming", Shikamaru muttered.

Chouji rustled around him for a while, but Shikamaru was determined to not open his eyes. Suddenly there was a pull on his arm and he let himself being placed on something soft yet firm and it had a really nice noise, sounding like… heartbeats?

"Chouji?"

"Quiet", Chouji said. "You like when you hear someone's heartbeat when you're scared."

Shikamaru squirmed a bit and then yawned. He felt a bit tired already.

Ten minutes later Asuma found the two boys in his team sleeping peacefully under a tree where the breeze was not so strong. The Jounin smiled and sat down next to them. Shikamaru was half-lying on Chouji and Chouji had one arm wrapped around Shikamaru's waist to not let him fall off. Asuma leaned back and closed his eyes. Man, they really picked a good spot for a nap…

-

Kakashi opened the door and heard a lot of people talking. He entered the living room and scratched his head.

Jiraiya and Iruka were speaking while the brunette served tea. Baki were discussing something with Temari. Gaara and Sasuke were… arguing? Naruto and Kankuro just watched them for a while before returning to their own discussion of puppets. Iruka looked up and smiled while saying:

"Welcome back Kakashi. Jiraiya-sama and Baki-san has informed us about the situation."

Kakashi nodded and took a seat next to Naruto. He peeked over at a book Kankuro and the blonde were holding and said:

"What do you got there?"

"Kankuro is explaining how to make a puppet", Naruto said happily.

Kankuro looked a bit embarrassed that someone was so happy about it, but Kakashi just grinned and said:

"That's sounds fun. I've heard it takes some talent to make one."

"I guess", Kankuro said. "I've always been good working with complicated things."

"A true puppeteer", Kakashi said and thanked Iruka when he got a cup of tea. "By the way, what are Gaara and Sasuke arguing about?"

"Dunno", the both boys said in union. "Nothing they say makes sense."

Kakashi sweat dropped and returned to his tea. Iruka sat down next to Kakashi, gently took Kakashi's cup and took a sip.

"Hey, make your own tea", Kakashi complained.

"I'm too lazy today", Iruka said.

Kakashi looked at Iruka and grinned evilly. Iruka started to sweat; he loved the Copy-nin but if he even tried to molest him in front of all of them they would have to dig a grave for the great Hatake Kakashi…

-

Tsunade gave a sigh of relief and said:

"He's alright now. The bugs kept the poison on bay from his lungs and heart."

Kiba, Shibi and Kurenai sagged with relief. Shizune wiped off sweat from Shino's forehead and smiled. Tsunade fell back on her rear in a very un-Hokage way and sighed.

"Man, making me worried", Tsunade said. "Damn kids, they're worse to treat than adults."

"You want to succeed when you're treating a child, right?" Shizune said.

"Something like that", Tsunade said. "Shibi-san, keep him in bed today and let's see how he feels tomorrow."

Shibi nodded and carefully lifted his son from the floor. They had treated him right on the kitchen floor since they would never have made it further. Kiba looked after Shibi as he went upstairs to put his son in bed and Kurenai said:

"You okay, Kiba?"

Kiba dragged a shaking hand through his hair and mumbled:

"Man, this is just how Shikamaru would have put it."

"And how would he put it?" Tsunade said.

"Troublesome…"

Tsunade, Kurenai and Shizune could not help but laugh at the Inuzuka boy.

-

Hinata was running to Shino's house after Asuma told her. She felt a bit more relieved when Shino's chakra became calm instead of spiking and afraid. Still she wanted to find him resting peacefully and she almost leaped in the air of happiness when she sensed Kiba and Kurenai as well inside.

She came and the door was open. Shizune and Tsunade were on their way.

"Well hello there", Tsunade said.

"Hokage-sama", the pale-eyed kunoichi panted. "Shizune-san."

"Kiba, be of some more good use and give your other teammate a glass of water", Tsunade said.

"Hinata?!"

"Hi, Kiba-kun", she said, "Kurenai-sensei."

Kiba retrieved a glass and the Hokage and her apprentice was on their way. Hinata came in as Shibi came down the stairs. Hinata began to bow but Shibi waved his hands, silently saying there was no need to bow. Hinata smiled instead and accepted the glass Kiba gave her. She took a sip of the cold water and then spoke up:

"Asuma-san told me what happened and said Shino-kun was in good hands, but I wanted to make sure."

"That's alright", Kurenai said. "We made it in time. He's alright now."

"Where is he?" Hinata quietly asked.

"I'll take you to him, I wanna see how he is anyway", Kiba said and tugged her hand.

The both teenagers walked up, leaving Kurenai and Shibi to their conversation. Kiba opened Shino's door and they went inside.

Shino was rather pale in normal cases but now he was as white as a sheet. He was lying beneath a thick blanket and only wearing a T-shirt, too big to belong to him, and a pair of sweatpants. His glasses lay on the small table next to the bed. He was breathing softly.

Hinata sat down on the edge of the bed.

"He looks small", she commented.

"Yeah", Kiba whispered. "Too small for my liking. I like more when he had those glasses and stupid high-collar jacket."

The Hyuuga nodded in agreement, not trusting her own voice. She inched closer, and finally got courage to grab Shino's hand. It was cold and soft. She took it in both hands and said:

"He's cold."

Kiba touched the hand and suppressed a shudder.

"Really cold", he said.

He got a crazy idea and carefully climbed in the bed. He climbed over the sleeping bug-user and slowly let his body relax against Shino's side. Hinata followed his thought and laid down. Together they cocooned their sleeping team mate. Kiba hesitated for only a few moments before lying one arm around Shino's torso and the other wriggled under Shino's head until the bug-user used, without knowing, Kiba's arm as a pillow. Hinata laid her arm on top of Kiba's on the torso and let her head rest on the other. Shino stirred and turned his head against Kiba the slightest bit with a pained moan. Kiba and Hinata tightened their grip on their teammate, not wanting him to feel pain.

-

Kurenai and Shibi started wonder after an hour why it was taking them so long. They decided to check on them.

The sight startled them at the beginning. Shino was turned on his side, his head tucked in neatly under Kiba's chin. Hinata had her head nestled into the crook of Shino's neck, one arm flung over Shino. Kiba's arm was keeping Shino close by the waist. The blankets had at some time been kicked down to the edge of the bed, but Shino was warm enough to not stir in his sleep. Both of his teammates seemed to have given into sleep as well, despite the warmth they must have felt and the tangle of legs and blankets that kept them in place.

"Well…" Kurenai said after a while.

"Quite surprising", Shibi commented.

"Yes indeed", she said and nodded.

"How about we wait for my wife with a cup of coffee?" Shibi said.

"Yes, that sounds nice", Kurenai said.

The both adults left team 8 with smiles on their lips.

-

Ino was enjoying sitting in the sun while construction was going on around her. She was pale and weak but was still smiling. Sakura was looking at her friend and gave a weak sigh. She was happy that Ino had pulled through. Yesterday had been a too stressful day. She had yet to check on Naruto and Sasuke. Funny thing; over night she had stopped referring Sasuke with a -kun after. She guessed she had realized Sasuke was not for her. She started wonder how Lee was, since she had seen he had been injured quite bad yesterday.

"Sakura?" Ino's voice brought her back to reality.

"Yes?"

"You were spacing out. Thinking of Sasuke-kun? You know you're not the one destined to be with him", Ino said.

"Actually I was thinking if Lee-san was feeling alright", she said thoughtfully. "And I wonder how Naruto and Sasuke are doing; hardly got the chance to speak with them yesterday."

Ino gaped. Sakura looked serious. The said kunoichi shrugged and continued writing on her clip-board.

"Alright, Ino", Sakura said, "it's best if you rest a bit now. Do you need help or are you fine on your own?"

"I think I can manage", Ino said and rose up, slowly.

"Alright. I need to go my rounds, so I'll see you later okay?" Sakura said cheerfully and then with a smile she walked inside.

'_Is this really the Sakura I know?'_ Ino wondered.

-

Neji and Lee had ceased fighting and the tired Hyuuga had been placed on a bed next to Lee's and was now sleeping. Tenten was content to clean one of her favourite weapons while Lee and Gai was talking.

Neji shifted but did not wake up. His teammates looked at him and then simply returned to their tasks. They had a smile each on their lips, and Tenten was tempted to take a picture since she had never seen Neji with his hitai-ate gone and his hair tousled and sprawled over the pillow he rested his head on. A curtain of hair covered his smooth forehead and the birdcage-seal, like it was meant to. Tenten finally could not ignore it anymore and stepped up. She laid her weapon down and went to tuck Neji in more firmly. She would not take a picture and humiliate him, but she promised herself to burn in the image of her teammate at ease into her mind. She stared at him and both Lee and Gai said:

"What are you doing, Tenten?"

"Memorizing him", Tenten said back. "Who knows if I ever get to see him this vulnerable again."

The two looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"She has a point", Lee finally said.

"Indeed", Gai said.

In the same moment Neji chose to stir. Tenten quickly straightened herself and stepped away. Her eyes did not leave him though. Neither did Gai's or Lee's. Neji opened his eyes and felt hair in front of his face. He shook it away and in horror realized he had no hitai-ate, and even worse; his teammates could see it. He quickly covered the seal but his hands were pried away by Gai.

"It's okay", Gai said.

"It's not okay", Neji hissed. "I don't want to show it."

"We've seen it", Tenten said. "When Lee removed your hitai-ate."

Neji looked at them all and bowed his head. Suddenly there was a rustle of blankets and Tenten said sharply:

"What are you doing, Lee?!"

They both looked to see Lee stand up and limping the short distance to Neji's bed. He sat down, carefully, and said:

"Sorry if I embarrassed you by exposing the seal but I don't react any differently just because you show it."

Neji looked at Lee, that now smiled at him. He let Tenten tuck his hair behind his ears and heard her say:

"You know, you would need to see some sun."

"So what if my skin is pale?" he said with amusement.

"Doesn't look normal", Tenten said.

"Tenten, I'm a Hyuuga…"

"Doesn't matter", Tenten said. "How about when Lee gets out from this place, we find ourselves a nice spot to relax on. I got a few ideas and places were we can go to."

The males of the team looked at her. Then Neji's eyes softened and he smiled.

-

Shikamaru yawned and struggled to open his eyes. Quite hard, since it had been a long time since he felt this good. His pillow shifted and he heard it speak to someone. He yawned again and he felt a large hand patting his head. His normal hairstyle was gone, and he felt the strands of hair tickling his nose. Annoyed, he blew on it. Why was it in his face in the first place? Did he not fall asleep with his head down, in a position where the hair would not reach his face? So troublesome…

"Shika, you awake?"

Chouji. Shikamaru normally was a fast thinker, but not at the moment. It took him a few moments to wonder why Chouji was there, a few more to remember where they were and finally why Chouji's voice boomed in his ear. Solution: he was still lying on Chouji. Or sitting? He did not know.

"Chouji?" he asked or more liked slurred since he had no wish to clear his throat and become more awake.

"Yeah, it's me", Chouji said. "Sorry, Asuma-sensei and I didn't mean to wake you up."

" 'S 'kay", he mumbled and shifted to a more comfortable position. He waved lazily on his hand and continued: "Just gonna rest my eyes a little more…"

A small chuckle from his sensei.

"Rest all you want, Shika", Chouji whispered.

Shikamaru pried his eyes open to look up at Chouji. Then he noticed he was indeed sitting up, now completely in Chouji's lap. His legs were curled up and Asuma sat next to them. Shikamaru yawned, and blinked like an owl, drawing out chuckles from both of them.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh at the tired one", he snorted, causing them to smile wider.

Asuma resumed his petting and Chouji just rested his back against the tree. Shikamaru closed his eyes and said:

"Feels good…"

Asuma and Chouji looked at each other and had to bite their lips to not laugh out load as they realized he liked the petting.

"Good for you", Chouji said. "How about you take a little longer nap and wake up as the Shika we know?"

"Sounds good to me…" Shikamaru mumbled and soon was asleep.

-

Kakashi and Iruka were carrying a basket each and a couple of blankets. They, Naruto, Sasuke and the Suna siblings had decided to relax on this day and go on a small picnic. Gaara and Naruto were walking hand in hand, making smiles appear on them all.

They came to a nice clearing that opened up to a waterfall and a lake. Temari stretched with a smile and flopped back on the grass with a pleasant sigh.

"Temari-san, let me at least unfold a blanket", Iruka said.

"It's okay", Temari said. "I like the feeling of grass; in Suna it's quite impossible to feel it."

Kankuro and Gaara was feeling the same way. Kankuro had sat down on the bank, letting his fingers feel the cool water. He was smiling without thinking on it; a content and small smile.

Gaara had sit down not far from his sister and added to her comment:

"The air is fresher here as well."

Temari grinned and nodded in agreement. Kakashi and Iruka unfolded the blankets and put down the baskets. Kakashi flopped down and pulled his lover with him. The teenagers merely laughed at Iruka's weak protest. Naruto sat down next to Gaara whilst Sasuke surprisingly sat down near Kankuro.

"Aah, I feel like I wanna take a nap", Kakashi said.

"Sleepy-head", Iruka murmured.

"I-r-u-k-aaaa…" Kakashi whined and Temari laughed behind her hand.

Sasuke looked at them before remembering his and Gaara's little 'fight' back in the house. Gaara had caught him staring at Kankuro whilst the said Suna shinobi had explained to Naruto how to make a puppet move with the chakra-strings. The redhead had quickly realized the raven's feelings and had threatened if he even tried to hurt Kankuro's feelings he would perform 'Sabaku Sousou' on him. The Uchiha had promised if Gaara hurt Naruto's feelings he would find a way through the sand armour and perform 'Chidori'. Happy the boys had understood each other, they had shaken hands and wished each other good luck.

He looked back at Kankuro and his breath hitched. Kankuro looked delighted and was smiling shyly down at the water. He looked so young without the face paint. Much younger than his 14 years. Kankuro looked at him, found the Uchiha staring and blushed.

"Wh-what are you looking at?" the puppeteer stuttered.

"You."

Kankuro's eyes widened. Sasuke looked at… him? Why him? Kankuro knew far too well that he was not very attractive and he was not much for caring. No one would like him, he had concluded and he had stopped taken care of his looks since then. He had been 9 years at that point. Temari had cut his hair, scolding him whenever he did not bath and saying he would not find a girl who would like him if he kept it up. He had answered he did not care.

Sasuke inched closer and said:

"Temari told me you didn't want anyone to like you. Why?"

"Because… when they left me, it would hurt. Besides, my father always said no one would ever like me", Kankuro answered and looked down on the sand on the beach, absently playing in the water with his fingertips.

"And you listen to him?" Sasuke snapped and Kankuro looked up.

Sasuke laid a hand on his shoulder, pushed up the short sleeve of Kankuro's T-shirt and let his thumb gently caress the skin.

"To me, you look beautiful", Sasuke said. "And adorably cute when you blush."

"I… look beautiful?"

Sasuke nodded. Kankuro felt his heart beat hard in his ribcage. How did the Uchiha succeed make him feel this way? The boy was two years younger than him, and yet it felt like Kankuro was the younger one.

Sasuke had moved to caress one cheek and Kankuro leaned into it, and a smile took form on his face. He did not protest when Sasuke kissed him. Quite the opposite, he let the Uchiha in with a moan. Sasuke cupped his face and explored his mouth with a wet tongue.

Naruto and Gaara had looked at them so far, and now turned away to leave them alone for a while. Temari had closed her eyes only a few moments ago, and decided to take a nap under the warming sun. Kakashi and Iruka had already dosed off. Naruto went to get some sodas; for him and Gaara, and two for Sasuke and Kankuro. That was, if they stopped kissing. He came back and Gaara accepted the soda. Naruto sat back down, took a sip and was surprised when Gaara pulled at his arm. He looked at the redhead and was met by a gentle kiss. Gaara pulled his blonde closer, into his lap without breaking the contact. Naruto closed his eyes and wrapped his arms tightly around Gaara, both fully knowing that the kiss aroused their demons as well.

-

Kyuubi no Kitsune no Youkai(1) was the greatest Biju through times. With his nine tails he could swipe and destroy pretty much everything he wanted. Even though it was not shown, the Bijus was actually capable of loving. Kyuubi was no exception. It was not his love that was of concern, but rather his choice of partner.

Shukaku was said to be crazy. He loved killing anything he could. He was not a Biju you wanted to have inside you, since it would probably cause you insanity. Sabaku no Gaara was close to it when Uzumaki Naruto stepped in the picture. And with him, Kyuubi. As said, Shukaku was said to be crazy. But he did not mind being called that. After all, to love the greatest and most fearsome Biju in time, Kyuubi, you must suffer from some kind of insanity.

Flashback: (Before the Chuunin Exam, first encounter with team 7 and the Suna siblings)

Shukaku had at that moment quiet down, not tormenting Gaara as he recognized the chakra in the blonde. At first sight, he thought Kyuubi had been locked into a stupid kid, but then he looked through Gaara's eyes into Naruto's. What met him shocked him to the core. Pain, sadness, loneliness and fear were all present in the blonde's eyes. Pain of not being accepted, sadness of being beaten for something he could not have decided on his own, loneliness of the long years he had spent alone in a tiny apartment that had seen better days and finally fear for that one day his friends would find out his secret and he would be alone again. The blonde was a survivor. He was stronger than Kyuubi. His will to live and to be accepted was something Shukaku had not seen in a long time. The boy had grown strong, even though all the pain he had to endure. Shukaku felt that Kyuubi was proud of the child.

When Shukaku had come over his shock, he gently called his host's name. Gaara had been surprised but spoke in his mind:

"_What do you want, Shukaku?"_

"**That blonde boy",** Shukaku murmured.

Gaara locked his vision on Naruto and continued:

"_What about him?"_

"**He holds something precious"**, Shukaku said. **"Do not harm him. Speak with him later, after the Second Exam if I remember correctly."**

"_Why after the Second, and not First?"_ Gaara asked.

"**If I remember right, there is some time to prepare for the Third Exam after the Second. Approach him then, without Temari or Kankuro. Make sure he's alone."**

"_Why should I do it?"_ Gaara said. _"I gain nothing from it."_

"**I'll be quiet"**, Shukaku said and Gaara froze in real world. **"I won't taunt you. I can't promise I will let you sleep whenever you want, but I will try the hardest to suppress my powers enough so you can rest."**

Gaara could not believe his ears. Then he shakily spoke up in his mind:

"_Why is it so important that you can speak to the boy?"_

"**Not the boy himself, though he is an ****interesting little survivor of human's wrath"**, Shukaku said. **"I wish to speak to the one **_**inside **_**him."**

"_Inside him?"_

Shukaku did not answer.

Gaara pulled himself together as Sasuke jumped down. He looked at Gaara and said:

"What's your name?"

"Sabaku no Gaara", he said but kept his eyes on the blonde.

"Have you ever heard it's not polite not looking at the person you speak to?" Sasuke said with a sneer.

"Shut up or I'll kill you", Gaara hissed and they all froze.

Sakura looked at the redhead in horror, so did Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon. Sasuke took a step back in fear of all the killer intent the Suna shinobi released. Temari and Kankuro hoped no one would come, but knew better than try to calm him down. He looked at Naruto and saw… nothing. No fear, hate, anger or disgust. He seemed not affected by the killer intent. Gaara spoke out:

"You, blonde. Your name?"

"Uzumaki Naruto", the Konoha shinobi said. "Nice to meet you, Shukaku's Jinchuuriki." And with that, he bowed a bit to show his respect.

At that moment, Gaara's eyes widened and he froze. The boy knew?? How?? Kankuro and Temari seemed to be in panic as well, and the rest just looked confused.

No one except Gaara saw that sad little smile on Naruto. The said shinobi walked calmly up towards Gaara. He stopped and whispered in the redhead's ear:

"I'm the host of Kyuubi. He seems interested in you."

"Shukaku is interested in you as well", Gaara whispered back.

"Then I guess we'll be seeing each other", Naruto said. "Dunno why, but it feels better knowing I'm not alone with a demon inside me."

With that, Naruto strode down the street. Gaara turned against his siblings and said softly:

"I think Baki-sensei would like to meet us now, since we are 15 minutes late."

He disappeared in a whirl of sand, leaving two shocked siblings behind.

Flashback: (Second Exam finished)

Gaara looked at his hands; Shukaku had been drawn out when Lee had trapped up his power and Gaara had mercilessly used the wrath of Shukaku against the boy. He was sitting near a lake on the shore. The moonlight was shining down on him and casting comforting shadows.

"Hello Gaara-san", a voice spoke softly behind him.

He turned around and faced Naruto. The blonde was not wearing the orange clothing, instead he wore a red long-sleeved shirt with brown pants much like Gaara's own, and Gaara questioned it.

"Aah, my orange clothing?" Naruto laughed bitterly, a sound Gaara did not want to come from that mouth. "It's a part of it."

"Of what?" Gaara asked.

"My mask", Naruto said and sat down. "I hate orange. I hate happiness. I hate a lot of things, but pretend to like them because of the mask."

Gaara stared at Naruto. The Konoha shinobi looked nothing more than a mere child in the moonlight. Naruto suddenly bowed his head and said:

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I've never spoken about it with anyone."

His voice was soft, a comforting sound in Gaara's ears. The blonde stood up to leave and Gaara's arm flexed out. His hand grabbed Naruto's wrist and he said:

"Stay a bit… please. It gets lonely sometimes."

Naruto sat down again and they sat there all night, without speaking yet understanding each other. As Naruto rose to leave at dawn Gaara said:

"Will you come again?"

"Yes", Naruto said and looked at Shukaku's host. "Despite your reputation, you are a nice person, Gaara-san."

"Gaara is fine", the redhead said. "No need to be polite."

"Gaara is it then", Naruto said and walked away.

-

They had met every night until the Third Exam. On the last night before, Gaara decided to speak.

"Naruto?"

"Yes?" They spoke in soft tones, as if afraid that the shadows would listen. Gaara had found it ridiculous but Naruto had gently warned him that the Nara clan might be able to. Since then they spoke quietly even though they never spoke about something important.

"Does everyone in the village really hate you?"

Speaking about their villages had been a sensitive subject. Naruto looked at Gaara and then there was that sad smile again.

"Not everyone. Umino Iruka, an academy teacher, he is very kind to me. He has taken care of me since I was little. He saw through my mask. And then there is Sarutobi-sama, the Hokage. He is nice as well. He even gave me the permission to call him 'oji-san'." The thought seemed to touch Naruto deeply. Gaara would probably feel honoured as well, if he had the permission to call such an important person for oji-san. "My current teacher, Hatake Kakashi doesn't hate me. I don't really know about him. He's good at hiding what he feels. There is a ramen bar in the village; the owner and his daughter are nice. I'm not particulate fond of ramen but it's cheap and keeps me satisfied for a while. There are a lot of people, mostly people in my age or younger, that doesn't hate me but they are told by their parents to hate me."

Gaara spun to look at Naruto as he spoke the last part. The blonde smiled sadly at him and said:

"Do they do that to you too?"

"More or less", Gaara whispered.

"It hurts doesn't it?"

Gaara nodded.

Dawn approached too fast for Gaara's liking; tomorrow they would probably be enemies. As on cue, Naruto said:

"I don't care what happens tomorrow. I don't care if you become my enemy. In my heart, you will always be my friend."

That was the first time someone wanted to be Gaara's friend.

End flashbacks

Shukaku had been overridden by his bloodlust in the Third Exams and nearly killed Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura in his rage. That was until Naruto had stepped in his way. Shukaku, mad of insanity and unable to recognize the child and his lover, the Kyuubi, had tried to kill them. That was the first time Gaara fought back. Shukaku had come to his senses when Gamabunta and Naruto did 'Henge no Jutsu' and turned into Kyuubi. Only then had Shukaku been able to regain his mind. He had shut down himself, and Naruto had swiftly released Gamabunta and caught Gaara before the Suna shinobi had fallen down to death. Before they both fell unconscious, they had uttered one word with hands tightly clasped together:

"Friend."

-

Gaara released Naruto's lips in order to breath and Naruto protested. Gaara hugged him tightly and said:

"Do you remember when we met each other every night in the Chuunin Exams?"

"Yes", Naruto said. "I remember being deadly tired every day, but it was the first time in a long time since I'd felt so happy."

Gaara kissed him again, and Naruto whimpered in desperation. His eyes flashed red, a sign that Kyuubi was impatient and wanted more. Gaara felt Shukaku stir; the raccoon wanted more as well. Fortunately the demons were understanding and realized that 12 years old boys could not just simply have sex together. They had to be happy with the kisses until Gaara and Naruto got older. Kyuubi whined a bit at the end of the kiss and it came out from Naruto's mouth. Gaara noticed Naruto's blue eyes were mere slits and said quietly:

"I think someone more than us is exited."

"He makes my body feel strange", Naruto moaned. "That pervert fox. He just wants to get laid."

"And what is more perfect than not give him what he wants?" Gaara whispered into Naruto's ear before gently biting the earlobe. "It seems like Shukaku is making me strange as well."

"How about a swim to cool down?" Naruto suggested.

Gaara nodded and they got up. Kankuro and Sasuke looked at them as they closed in.

"Yo", Sasuke said.

"Wanna take a swim?" Naruto said. "It's hot."

The both boys agreed and they started undress. Naruto was slower and reluctantly took off his shirt. Gaara touched his back and said:

"You have scars…"

"That's what happens when you can't run away fast enough", Naruto said. "I was only three I guess so I have no clear memory of it."

Sasuke and Kankuro listened silently at them both, and then Naruto smiled and said:

"But that's in the past. Lay it behind and move on, that's what I say. How about that swim?"

They saw he was not alright, but did not push it. Instead, they all grinned and ran out in the lake and the cool water.

-

Neji had no idea how he got into this mess. Lying to hospital staff! Luckily, his only task was to get Lee out, and with all the chaos that was quite simple.

"Hokage-sama is going to kill me for this", Neji muttered.

"I'll tell her it was my idea", Lee said. "I wanted to get out, and succeeded to make you get me out."

"She'll never fall for it", Neji said.

"Relax, I'm fine as long I'm with you right?" Lee said.

"Tenten and Gai-sensei is with us as well", Neji said.

"Yeah, but not right now", Lee said. "I hope Gai-sensei made my Kage Bunshin look like I'm just asleep."

Neji continued to lead Lee to a clearing Tenten had described. As they came to it, they were too stunned to speak. It was beautiful. A cool breeze hit them and Neji sighed of relief. He was sweating quite hard. He let Lee slide down against a tree and collapsed against it himself.

"Neji? You don't look too good", Lee said.

"I guess I used Kaiten a bit too much yesterday", Neji said and looked at his shaking hands.

"You mean chakra exhaustion?!" Lee nearly screamed. "Like Naruto-kun and Sasuke-san suffered?"

"Mine was not near theirs", Neji said. "I just needed to rest, and I intend to do that now."

"Oh."

Neji promptly laid down and closed his eyes.

When Tenten and Gai finally got free and got to the clearing, they just had to smile.

Lee was leaning against a tree, asleep and Neji laid sprawled out next to him.

"Pure bliss", Tenten said.

Gai nodded with a wide smile on his lips.

-

Shino blinked a few times, found himself being cuddled between two breathing creatures. One hand found its way to the back of his head, and gently pressed him closer to the strong heartbeat. Shino looked up and Kiba blurred into his vision.

"Hi", the Inuzuka boy said quietly.

"Kiba?" Shino was confused.

"You had poison in your body", Kiba explained. "We had to call Tsunade-sama since you were dying. You idiot."

That 'idiot' sounded pretty cracked, and Shino was surprised to see Kiba crying.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"What's wrong? _What's wrong_?!" Kiba hissed. "I'll tell ya what's wrong! You nearly died, that's what's wrong!"

"Kiba-kun, calm down", Hinata said. "We don't want to panic Shino-kun."

Shino's eyes flickered up at Kiba and then he said:

"Sorry… I couldn't feel it."

"Neither could your bugs, which means it was a pretty good poison", Kiba said. "Luckily Ino had suffered the same so Tsunade-sama already had the antidote ready. Or else you would be dead."

Shino found himself being more firmly pressed against Kiba and Hinata hugged him from behind. Shino's eyes dropped closed, no matter how much he fought to keep them open, and he heard Kiba say softly:

"Go back to sleep, Shino. We'll be here when you wake up."

Not being able to protest, nor wanting to, Shino fell once more asleep within his team's embrace.

-

Shikamaru woke up with a start, an agonised scream coming from his lips. He pushed away the comfort and warmth, reaching blindly away from his friend and his sensei. Chouji gripped Shikamaru by the waist and pulled him flush to his chest. Shikamaru's eyes were still glazed, locked into the horrors of his dream. Asuma reached out and held Shikamaru still and then whispered:

"Wake up, Shikamaru. It's only a bad dream."

Shikamaru ceased his struggle, collapsing into Chouji's arms, his rather thin frame shaking uncontrollably. Asuma stroke away the strands of hair that clung to the Nara boy's face and said:

"Only a dream, Shikamaru."

"Only a dream", Shikamaru repeated and sank deeper against Chouji.

Chouji hugged his friend tightly and said:

"What was it about?"

"Dunno", the brunette said. "All I know was that it hurt. It was painful."

"Well, you're alright now", Asuma said.

Shikamaru turned so that he could press his head against Chouji's chest, hearing that heartbeat again. He was still shaking and he curled up. He gripped one of Chouji's arms, and let out a sob. Neither Chouji nor Asuma had seen Shikamaru cry, so they knew it was quite upsetting for the Nara boy.

Chouji stroke Shikamaru's back tenderly and Asuma wiped away the tears carefully.

"Don't leave me alone", Shikamaru whispered.

"We're here", Asuma said firmly. "And we will stay here."

-

Kakashi and Iruka woke up almost at the same time as Temari. Realizing the boys were gone, all three stood up bewildered. That was until they heard laughter. They looked out on the lake and there were they. Naruto, Sasuke and Kankuro seemed to avoid Gaara. The redhead had a predatory look on his face. He swam against Kankuro, who yelped and went underwater.

"What are they doing?" Temari said.

"I know that game", Iruka said and giggled. "Tag in water."

"Isn't that hard?" Kakashi said.

"Yes, but a good exercise", Iruka said as Gaara finally got his hands on Kankuro with a triumph yell.

The boys continued their tag for around 30 minutes before giving in to their exhaustion. They came up and Iruka said:

"And how are you supposed to get dry again, huh? We don't have enough blankets for all of you."

"How many have you?" Naruto asked.

"Two."

"That's enough", Sasuke said and grabbed one.

"Yep", Gaara said and grabbed the other one.

The two adults was not so surprised when Gaara and Naruto curled up, but defiantly was when Sasuke and Kankuro did them same.

"Alright what did we miss?" Kakashi said.

"You missed Sasuke and Kankuro making out", Temari said. "Man I never thought two Konoha shinobis would catch my brother's hearts."

"And what about yourself?" Iruka said.

"I'm not interested for the moment", Temari said with relief.

The two adults laughed at the Suna kunoichi and she simply laid down on the grass again.

-

Ino was bored. Her team was nowhere to be found. She sat and was looking out the window. She had to admit she kinda missed them. Someone had said that Shikamaru was pretty messed up. She wanted to see that for herself. Suddenly there was a knock on her hospital door.

"Come in!" she called out.

Chouji opened and said:

"Hi, how are you doing?"

"Chouji! Thank you, I'm fine. Where's Shikamaru?"

Chouji just looked behind him and she heard Asuma said:

"Come on, just because he's small doesn't mean I want to carry him around all the time."

"Who he?" Ino asked.

Chouji walked inside, and then Ino got the surprise of her life. In Asuma's arms, a limp Shikamaru laid. Asuma walked to the other bed in her room and laid him down there.

"His mother _and_ father is gonna kill me", Asuma whined to Chouji. "If they see him like this, my head's gone!"

"Come on, his dad said it was alright", Chouji said and fetched a blanket to tuck his friend in. "Besides, maybe it's a good thing that he's on the hospital so that they can check on him."

"What's wrong with Shikamaru?" Ino asked.

"Nightmares", Asuma said. "Just around 30 minutes ago he woke up and didn't recognize any of us. I just want Tsunade-sama to do a check on him."

"His wounds are alright" Chouji said, "despite all the thrashing around he did."

"Good."

Ino was craning her neck to watch Shikamaru. Her friend was pale but seemed to sleep peacefully.

"I'll go and see if Tsunade-sama is busy", Asuma said and left.

"Ne, Chouji", Ino said.

"Yes?"

"What happened to Shikamaru and you during the fight? And what about the others?"

Chouji took a deep breath before taking his teammate through the yesterday's events.

-

Sakura was walking down the hall, her shift nearing its end. She had yet heard anything from her team other than they were fine and outside at the moment. She knew the Suna siblings was with them, and had her vague suspicions about Gaara and Naruto. She was happy for the blonde and she winced as she remembered how horrible she had been all the time. She had concluded she was an asshole. Making up to him was not going to be easy but she would try the fullest. She did not want him to be hurt by her ever again.

-

Neji blinked sleepily a couple of times and stretched.

"You awake, Neji?" he heard Tenten say.

He nodded a bit and raised himself on his elbows. He locked gaze with the weapon mistress and she smiled. Gai and she were practicing her aim. Lee was sleeping next to him.

"How did it go fooling them?"

"Excellent!" Gai said with a grin. "It looked like we were going away from there and leaving Lee alone for a while, so it went well!"

"Can't believe I actually let you get me involved", Neji groaned and the two laughed.

"You wanted it as well", Tenten said.

He sniffed and turned away, fighting away a grin and the two laughed again before returning to their practice. Neji looked at Lee and leaned back against the tree. He closed his eyes and let a smile creep up on his face. Everything was alright now.

-

As the night crept closer, everyone began to walk home.

Shikaku was roused from his sleep on the couch by a soft knock. He went groggily to open and was met by Asuma with a sleeping Shikamaru.

"Oh", was the only thing Shikaku said.

"Me and Chouji got a bit worried about his nightmares and went to Tsunade. She explained they are common in traumas as Shikamaru's so don't worry if he wakes up tonight. Just make sure he falls asleep again."

Shikaku nodded and took his son from Asuma.

"Good night", Asuma said and disappeared.

Shikamaru shifted a bit, seeking to hear his father's heartbeat.

"It's alright Shikamaru", he softly said. "You're alright."

With that, the Nara mansion was ready for the night.

-

Chouji had eaten quite much, pleasing his parents and relieving them. He talked about how he and Shikamaru had found the perfect spot of resting and his father listened with nodding here and then.

Chouji prepared to sleep and sent a mental goodnight to his team.

-

Ino had fallen asleep earlier on the day, right after her team had left, and Tsunade made a final check-up on the girl.

-

Hiashi was mildly surprised when Kurenai had come and said his daughter would not return home that night. He understood as she explained why.

Even more surprised he got when Gai came carrying his nephew. Neji was deep asleep, and did not even stir when Gai handed the boy over to Hiashi. The Hyuuga thanked the Jounin and they parted. Neji was laid down in his room, sandals removed together with his weapon pouch and kunai holster. The hitai-ate slipped easily off the boy and Hiashi studied the birdcage seal. He laid a blanket over the younger Hyuuga and walked away, deep in thought.

-

Shibi made a final check on his son and the rest of team 8. Kiba and Hinata had awoken and offered dinner at the Aburame. After that, they had taken dinner up to Shino. Shibi was pleased to see half of it was gone.

Shino laid currently curled up against Kiba, and Hinata had been given a spare futon to sleep on. The girl seemed to sleep peacefully. Kiba was holding Shino surprisingly close and made no move to let go.

Shibi allowed himself a small smile and closed the door.

-

Sakura had finally been able to see Naruto and Sasuke. She had almost fainted when she saw Sasuke and Kankuro, but had later squealed 'kawaii' together with the Suna kunoichi when the two boys had kissed. She had hugged Naruto and congratulated him for getting together with Gaara. The blonde had been mildly shocked but hugged back nonetheless.

She had eaten dinner with them, and had never felt happier. She and Temari had made a secret pact about catching the boys in embarrassing situations with cameras ready. They both had laughed at the idea and the boys had all sweat dropped. Great, now they had stalkers.

Sakura giggled as she remembered them saying that. She looked over at her desk and could not wait until she would get the new pictures Iruka had taken earlier. He had promised her copies, and she would happily replace the team 7 picture she had now to the new one they had taken earlier that evening.

-

Tenten had fallen asleep on the second bed in Lee's room shortly after Lee fell asleep. Tsunade had been pretty angry when she found out that they had tricked her, but the anger died down when Gai had moved to take Neji home. The team had seemed to be at peace after spending the day together and she decided not to punish them. After all, Lee seemed only to be better.

-

Naruto had fallen asleep in Gaara's embrace in the bed at home not long after their dinner. Temari had checked on them both, as Gaara seemed to be asleep. Shukaku had often a hard time controlling his powers in a host, and this was one rare opportunity for the redhead to sleep just as the raccoon had promised the first time he met Naruto.

Temari was asleep in her own room, content that her brothers were alright.

Kakashi and Iruka cleaned up the last of the dishes and prepared to sleep after checking everyone.

Sasuke had made a warm mountain of blankets and pillows and had cradled Kankuro in his arms. The older teenager had not complained one bit, just sighing contently and went to sleep. Maybe tonight he would not have nightmares.

-

For now, everything was alright and well.

Tbc…

* * *

(1) Nine-tailed Demon Fox (A/N Now is the moment you shout at me: "Like we didn't know that already!" and I decide hiding in a corner would be the best.)

* * *

Chapter 7 ready! Yay! It seemed like some vague yaoi-pairings for some people in this chapter, like KibaShino and ChouShika but I have yet to decide if I should continue or if I should let them have a close friendship. Right now, it's more a close friendship.

Alright some notes for the next chapter:

It will be pretty long if I calculated right, and therefore it will take longer to write. And I must complete my English story to one of my teachers before school, so it might take some time. And if you don't know I started on a Star Wars-fic today and I seriously must say I am a bit crazy. So many stories to write, so little time. But I will do my best to complete chapter 8 for you all.

Until then,

Ja,

Tiro


	8. Chapter 8

**The Chibi accident and Kakashi's discovery**

**Pairings****KakaIru****, GaaNaru and ****SasukeKankuro**

Tiro here. Chapter 8. Last chapter I wondered what to do about Chouji and Shikamaru, and Kiba and Shino. My solution: no yaoi between them. A very tight friendship, though /nods/.

I know that in chapter 3 Naruto did two Suiton Jutsus but he won't do them anymore. He specializes in wind and fire (the element fire he gets from Kyuubi). He knows maybe one or two from the other three elements.

And I'm gonna mix Japanese with English since I really like Japanese but not so good. Some techniques will be in Japanese (with translation on them, don't worry) and some will be in English. I hope you won't be confused.

Anyway, enjoy now chapter 8!

**-**

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"_Talking in mind" _(mostly Gaara and Naruto when they speak to their Bijus)

"**Demons speaking"**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 8: New attack; live or die?**

It was a sunny day in Konoha. It was not too hot and not too cold, the breeze was cooling yet warm and everything indicated that it would be a beautiful day. The only thing that was missing was children laughing and their parents telling them to be careful. Except that the village was quiet. There was not one villager there at all.

50 people, all missing-nins had come inside the village for a surprise attack but were surprised themselves. One of them turned to their leader and asked:

"What's going on?"

"Do you think I know?!" Blood Fang snapped.

His voice echoed in the streets. He motioned for the missing-nins to spread out but before they could they heard a boy's voice:

"Seems like they fell for it, right Gaara?"

They turned around and saw two shinobis. One of them had a large gourd on his back, red hair and cold green eyes surrounded by black. He was dressed in almost black, tight pants that widened slightly around his ankles and black sandals were secured on his feet. He had a long-sleeved red shirt that widened out to something like a trench-coat and ended around his knees. Over his chest he had a thin leather armour. But what made him stand out the most was the tattoo for 'love' in his forehead. Blood Fang knew who he was and turned his eyes to the other.

The one that had spoken was a bit more different than the redhead. He had blonde, spiky hair that ended around his shoulders and blue eyes that in the moment looked much like the moments before a storm hit head on in the middle of the sea; calm but behind it building up to strike. Whisker marks on his cheek made him stand out as well. He wore black baggy pants that ended just below the knees. Bandages were wrapped around his legs but Blood Fang did not know how long since the boy had something unusual for a shinobi; boots that ended a few inches from the pants. They had metal strapping and the enemy of Konoha could only imagine how much it would hurt to be kicked by those. The boy had a net-shirt and a black trench-coat with wide arms, therefore hiding his hands, and the coat ended maybe around his ankles. Blood Fang could not see for sure since the boy was crunched down. They could clearly see the katana strapped by the boy's hip though. Around his neck was the famous necklace Tsunade had given him.

They looked around thirteen both of them, the redhead with a Suna hitai-ate attached to the belt across his chest that held the gourd and the blonde with a Konoha hitai-ate around his neck. They heard the redhead answer the blonde:

"What a bunch of idiots."

"You call us idiots?!" one man screamed. "What about you?!"

"Did you just insult my brother?"

They turned to the newcomer's voice and saw a black-dressed teenager with a strange hood; it had two ears sticking up like a cat. He had purple painting in his face and had a strange and big object on his back. He stood with hands on his hips and a grin on his face. Another boy stepped up next to the hood-wearing guy.

Red Sharingan-eyes met them. Raven-black hair and a pale face. Dressed in a dark-blue long-sleeved shit with wide openings and a symbol for a white and red fan on each arm. Black baggy pants with bandages around his legs. Complete with black and white sandals. They saw a katana identical to the blonde's attached to his hip.

The black-dressed one had a Suna hitai-ate around his forehead while the Sharingan-user had a Konoha in the same fashion as the blonde.

"Who the hell are these kids?" one guy whispered to the leader.

"Dunno", Blood Fang replied. "But now we know Suna helps Konoha."

"You are awfully talk active", the blonde said. "How about we discuss why you attack Konoha over a cup of tea?"

"Don't worry", Blood Fang said, "I'll be sure I'll kill you first."

"Kill me?" the blonde said. "Sure go ahead and try it. I don't think Kyuubi will let you though. He gets awfully pissed off when someone tries to kill me."

"K-Kyuubi?" Blood Fang stammered. "What's does he has to do with anything of this?"

"Maybe 'cause he's in me", the blonde said and rose up. "Forgive me, I haven't introduced myself. Uzumaki Naruto, Kyuubi no Kitsune's Jinchuuriki. Pleased to meet you."

With that, Naruto made a bow at the terrified enemies. The redhead scuffed but continued:

"And I am Sabaku no Gaara, Shukaku's Jinchuuriki. Nice to see the ones I want to kill."

With that, he bowed as well and the missing-nins started to freak out. The black-dressed picked up where Gaara left:

"I am Sabaku no Kankuro, puppeteer master from Suna and to some of you I will be your Shinigami. Nice to meet you."

Another bow, and an awfully happy grin that made some of the enemy start to sweat, and finally it was the Sharingan-user's turn:

"Uchiha Sasuke, the lone survivor of the Uchiha clan and more than happy to slay you all. Let's get the killing started."

He did not bow but he did allow a short nod. They all stared at the four youngsters. Then they heard a woman speak:

"Not nice that you run beforehand to meet the enemies before I even get a chance to see them."

"Aah, forgive us Tsunade-sama", Kankuro said, "but we were exited."

"So am I."

The Godaime Hokage jumped down next to Naruto and said aloud:

"You and your group are finished, Blood Fang. This is the end."

Blood Fang growled and screamed out:

"Kill them all!"

Gaara held out his hands, palms directed against two missing-nins and said calmly:

"Sabaku Kyuu."

He trapped the two and then continued with saying:

"Sabaku Sousou."

He closed his hands, blood splattered as they were crushed and that seemed to be the signal. Several other shinobis showed up.

"Do you think this is my entire group?" Blood Fang said with a sneer.

"Do you think this all of this village's shinobis?" Tsunade answered.

With that, the battle had begun.

-

Shino was leaping towards Konoha together with Kiba to report of the whereabouts of the rest of the missing-nins. The two of them, together with Hinata sometimes, had been scouting for two months, all since Shino was ready and fully recovered from the poison. Kiba had not been far away from his teammate since that day when the Aburame had almost died, and Shino somehow appreciated it.

"Do you think it has started?" Kiba asked.

"I believe so", Shino answered.

"Me too", Kiba said. "I sense all this crazy chakra signatures coming from the village."

They had changed quite a bit since the day most of Konoha had been destroyed. Shino still had his glasses and high-collar jacket but it was different. His jacket had a hood on as well, and Kiba had complained days after that now Shino was even more freakier. Shino had answered with raised eyebrows. He now wore long, black pants with white sandals. The jacket had changed colour to dark gray.

Kiba was different as well. He wore a black long-sleeved shirt and over that a thin leather vest that mother had made for him. He had black baggy pants with a few pockets where he stored kunais, shurikens and some scrolls. His hair was as wild as before and a little longer.

Akamaru leaped beside them. He had grown a bit and no longer rode on Kiba.

Shino perked up his head and suddenly looked back.

"Three shinobis", he muttered.

They stopped on a branch and Kiba said:

"Good. I was getting bored by just scouting."

Together, they waited for their enemy.

-

Shikamaru sat by entrance to the caves where the village had been evacuated to. Chouji sat close by. Ino and Tenten were in with the villagers together with Iruka, explaining everything for them. A few other shinobis were scattered around, scouting for any enemies.

"Do you think it has started?" Chouji mumbled.

"With all this crazy chakra? No doubt", Shikamaru answered. "Hey, don't eat all the food mom made!"

"I'm hungry", Chouji whined. "Besides, your mom is a good cook."

"What are you arguing about?" a new voice said.

They turned around and greeted Shikaku. The said shinobi crunched down and stole a dango stick from Chouji and munched on it. Shikamaru did the same and then looked around. He wore an outfit not so similar to his old; his pants were black and he had black gloves. He had his old pineapple hairstyle but wore a standard Chuunin vest instead of his old vest just like before. He had changed his net-shirt to a dark-green long-sleeved shirt as well.

Chouji had changed as well. He had a different hitai-ate therefore a different hairstyle. He had changed from his standard outfit to a total new one. Dark-brown long shorts that ended right below his knees, brown sandals and bandages wrappings around his legs as before. He wore a baggy black T-shirt with an open brown vest to it.

Shikaku sighed and cracked his neck before sitting down behind the two boys.

"So troublesome", he muttered.

The two boys could only agree.

-

Sasuke was currently facing a dirty-looking missing-nin. Sasuke settled into his unique Taijutsu stance he had trained like crazy on the last few months, all since the attack on the village. He had yet to use his katana but figured soon he had to. This people were far more skilled than the other ones in the last attack.

The missing-nin attacked head on and Sasuke jumped out of the way, delivering a kick to the man's head. He flipped back and landed gracefully on his feet. He unsheathed the katana just in time as the man came with two kunais. The blade met the kunais and Sasuke pushed the man back. The missing-nin seemed to observe the blade. It was shaded blue, and had the Uchiha symbol on it. He sank into his Kenjutsu stance and the missing-nin rushed forward.

-

Kankuro and Kakashi had made a silent agreement to work together. Kankuro kept them busy with Karasu and Kakashi delivered the final blow. At the moment, the two of them was facing a guy twice the size as Kakashi and wielding an axe.

"Um, you first Kakashi-san", Kankuro said and gulped.

"No, you first, I insist", Kakashi said.

Kankuro jerked his fingers and Karasu came to his side.

"Let's do this", Kankuro muttered.

"Yep", Kakashi said and they charged forward.

-

"Katon: Kouen!" (A/N remember this one? Hopefully you do)

Red flames came out from Naruto's mouth and delivered death to two missing-nins. Naruto jumped away just in time to avoid a large shuriken. He was not lucky and was constantly chased by Blood Fang.

"I told you gaki! I'll kill you first!" the missing-nin leader called out.

"What a troublesome guy", Naruto muttered.

"**You've spent too much time with the Nara"**, Kyuubi grumbled.

"But I like playing shougi with them", Naruto whined and Blood Fang was puzzled.

"**Do you need to pick up their habits as well?"** Kyuubi's voice echoed around them, and Blood Fang froze.

'_He speaks with the Kyuubi?'_ the man thought. _'He's stronger and far more annoying I would have thought. I need to kill him quickly and then get the Hokage.'_

Naruto dodged the hit Blood Fang delivered, and grabbed the missing-nin's arm. With a powerful swing Blood Fang was sent down on the streets and Naruto took the time to get closer to Tsunade so that she could help him.

-

Gaara had lured a group of missing-nins to a plain of sand. He quickly made some seals and shouted out:

"Ryuusa Bakuryu!"(1)

Sand rose up as Gaara finished the seals and the sand buried the missing-nins. He formed some more seals, hit his palms in the sand and called out:

"Sabaku Taisou!"(2)

The sand compressed and blood came up. Gaara looked over the plain for a few seconds before leaping away back to the village.

-

Sakura was together with Shizune by a medical tent. They already had some shinobis coming. With them were Hinata and Lee together with Gai and Asuma. The four shinobis made sure no enemies could come and interrupt. Sakura was treating a broken arm on an unconscious shinobi. She had a darker shade of red of her old outfit but other than that she had not changed much. Her attitude however had made a total 180 degrees. She now saw Sasuke and Naruto as two brothers and found it so funny teasing them and their two lovers together with Temari.

Asuma sat on a rock, looking towards another part of the village and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked.

"Seems like my team is lazing off", Asuma said. "I swear, I'm gonna beat Chouji and Ino to a bloody pulp for following Shikamaru."

Hinata giggled a bit, and Asuma grinned. Hinata had changed little during the months after the first attack. She wore the same outfit, but had her hitai-ate around her arm now and her hair was a little longer and put up in a ponytail.

Lee was not different at all. His hair had become a bit longer, but other than that, he was his normal self. His attitude had cooled off a bit, but still loved to use 'The spring of Youth' against Neji, since it made the Hyuuga explode, and Lee just loved that.

"Wonder if they're doing okay?" he said and tried to see any familiar faces in the distant battle.

"They'll be fine", Gai said. "They're prepared this time."

-

Neji leaped across rooftops, his enemy close by. The Hyuuga stopped and did a back flip. He thrusted his foot out and kicked the man in the back. He lost his footing and crashed down on a roof. Neji gracefully landed and locked in a Taijutsu stance. He wore a white long-sleeved shirt that widened after his elbows, white shorts that ended by his knees and black sandals. His hitai-ate was hiding his bird-cage seal as usual. His hair was set up in a loose ponytail.

The missing-nin got up and twirled around.

"You're dead!" the man growled.

"Many of you seem to say that a lot", Neji calmly commented.

The missing-nin rushed forward and Neji hit his palm in the man's chest, turned around while delivering a kick to his head. The man staggered backwards, swore and started making seals. Neji made some as well and called out:

"Byakugan!"

Veins popped up and he made himself ready for a fight.

-

Naruto look back, and cursed. Blood Fang still followed him. He bit his thumb, made some seals before jumping on a roof head first. He hit his palm on the roof and shouted out:

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Shoromaki!"(3)

He flipped back on his feet and a large smoke cloud came. Blood Fang stopped as he saw what it was. A fox in the size of a horse with red eyes and black fur stared at him. The fox turned around and bowed to the blonde.

"Naruto-sama", it spoke.

"Shoromaki", the blonde said. "I need help."

"And help you shall get", the fox said.

Blood Fang stared at him. This kid was something. The fox turned towards him and he was convinced it grinned.

'_Oh shit'_, was his thought.

-

Sasuke pulled his katana out from a missing-nin and threw a kunai back to its owner, Kakashi. Kakashi caught it and said:

"How is it going?"

"Good", Sasuke said. "And you, sensei?"

"Kankuro and I will manage", Kakashi said.

"Send him a kiss", Sasuke said with a grin.

"No way I'm gonna kiss him! Last time I tried, you, Iruka AND Gaara tried to kill me!" Kakashi whined. "And that bloody blonde just sat there and laughed his head off instead helping his dad out!"

"Well, say to him he's gonna get a kiss when we're finished", Sasuke said while trying to control his giggles as Kakashi cursed Naruto.

"That I can accept", the Copy-nin grumbled and they parted, barely controlled laughter on the Uchiha's side.

-

Gaara was panting slightly. The missing-nins were stronger this time and he was overworking himself at the moment. He performed Sabaku Fuyuu(4) and the sand obediently carried him up in the air. He reflected a moment or two, seeing only enemies below him and decided to take a shot. He went through some seals and said:

"Suna Shigure."(5)

Sand rained down on the enemies and he dropped down. He quickly made a 'Sabaku Taisou' and carried on. He wondered briefly where his lover was, and searched for his chakra. He found it soon, and was relieved that he was alright. He sensed Blood Fang fighting him. For a second, he considered going there but then he felt where Naruto was leading the man. Directly into Tsunade's fist range.

'_Good thinking, Naruto.'_

-

Temari called out as she swung her fan:

"Kamaitachi!"(6)

The strong wind cut through one missing-nin and Temari grinned as Konoha shinobis came and finished off the injured. Her chakra was low, since she had used her summon Kuchiyose: Kirikiri Mai(7) two times already and Kamaitachi al least five times. Using such big Jutsus was tapping on her reserves.

"Temari-san, rest a bit", Kurenai said. "We'll handle these guys for a while."

Temari nodded and leaped off towards the medical tent. She would get a soldier pill and then continue.

-

Shino flipped back on his feet after a hit on his chest and called out his bugs. These three had been harder then they thought. Kiba and Akamaru was busy dealing with the one that had brought with him a wolf. Shino created a shield and called on other bugs in the forest, who eagerly answered his calls. More swam into the clearing where the fight had led them and he knew he needed to end this quickly to warn about the amount of missing-nins. He let the bugs take care of the two and set his eyes on the third that Kiba was fighting.

The man got a kick to the head and Shino landed next to Kiba.

"Any ideas?" Kiba said as the man staggered backwards.

"That wolf is a nuisance", Shino said. "Let's take it out first."

"Let me handle it", Kiba said. "I'm pretty good persuading animals."

Shino nodded and went for the missing-nin.

-

Naruto growled and jumped away from Blood Fang, finally unsheathing his katana. The missing-nin noted with some fear that the blade shone faintly red.

"What the hell?" he mumbled.

"Did you notice?" Naruto said. "Kyuubi is connected to this katana, that's why it's shining."

The blonde sank into a Kenjutsu stance and looked at the missing-nin with one hand ready in a seal.

"You think you can beat me?" he sneered.

"Well, let's see about that", Naruto said as Shoromaki joined the blonde. "Shoromaki, I want you to get to Shino and Kiba. They may need your escort."

"Making me do the boring things", the fox sniffed. "Fine but you treat me a meal later."

"Raw human meat?" Naruto smirked, making the mighty Blood Fang gulp in fear.

"Delicious", Shoromaki said and licked its lips. "Later."

With that, the fox disappeared.

"Just you and me now", Naruto said.

"Don't think you're getting out of this alive", Blood Fang growled and got ready.

Naruto charged and swung the katana, neatly cutting the missing-nin along his right arm. He jumped up in the air and landed behind Blood Fang. The said shinobi whipped around and brought his fist onto the katana. He hit it with full power and expected it to shatter.

Only, it did not. Naruto flipped back a few metres and said:

"Kyuubi protects this blade, old man! You can't destroy it that easily."

Blood Fang disappeared and reappeared right behind the blonde, and literally knocked the air out of him. Naruto skidded across the roof and neared the roof. With one one-handed seal he called out right before he fell off the roof:

"Soyokaze!"(8)

To Blood Fang's surprise, and horror, Naruto stopped in the air. He slowly got up and the missing-nin shouted out:

"What the hell was that?!"

"You like my Jutsu?" Naruto said. "I can walk on air with it."

"You damn brat!"

Suddenly the katana started to shine even more and Naruto said:

"You're right Kyuubi. I can't beat the guy on my own."

He brought the katana together with his hands locked in a seal with the katana in the middle. He yelled out the Jutsu's name:

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Biju Kyuu, Kai!"(9)

The katana disappeared in black smoke and something came out. Dressed in a red armour and dark-orange hair, Kyuubi in human-form turned his red eyes towards the missing-nin and Blood Fang felt like the great demon bore hole into his very soul.

"**I'll take care of him"**, Kyuubi growled. **"You go and make sure Shoromaki comes back with the Aburame and Inuzuka."**

"Yeah, okay", Naruto said. "Remember the time though."

"**I know"**, Kyuubi said. **"Now, go."**

Naruto disappeared and Kyuubi smirked.

"**Now, how do you wish to die?"** the demon said. **"I'll make sure that Shoromaki gets a bite of your corpse."**

Blood Fang knew he was screwed.

-

Tsunade was healing Kakashi as four shinobis made sure that no one disturbed her. Kankuro was one of them. The Copy-nin had taken a pretty hard blow to his chest, and Tsunade only hoped the man's heart would beat for a little while more until she could strengthen it.

"Stay strong, Kakashi", she muttered. "Think of Iruka and Naruto. Stay with me."

The Copy-nin coughed and Tsunade let the mask slip off so he could breathe more easily.

"Hang in there", she said. "Iruka is gonna kill me if I don't save you."

"Wouldn't want that…" Kakashi mumbled and peered his eyes open.

"Now, we certainly wouldn't want that", Tsunade said and smirked. "Keep yourself awake for a few more minutes. Then I'll have someone take you to the medical tent."

Kakashi nodded and blinked a bit.

"I felt Kyuubi's chakra flare and become a body", Tsunade said.

"Yeah; Naruto's latest trick", Kakashi said. "The katana he has; he put a seal on letting Kyuubi appear in human form for a limited amount of time."

"Pretty smart", the Godaime said.

"He got help from Gaara", Kakashi said, "and I think even Sasuke got something to do with it."

"They've grown a lot", she commented and started to strengthen the Copy-nin's heart.

"Yeah… I feel like an overprotective parent for all in my team", Kakashi groaned. "Naruto and Sasuke are in love and I believe Sakura is dating Lee."

"Sakura and Lee? Doesn't that bring you and Gai closer?"

"Unfortunately."

Tsunade smirked and finished.

"Ibiki!" she called out. "Can you take Kakashi to Shizune and Sakura?"

Ibiki nodded, helped the Copy-nin up and leaped away.

-

Iruka looked out and sighed. He felt useless just standing there. He wondered how Kakashi and Naruto were doing. He knew that they both were stronger than him, but he was the 'mother' and therefore had the right to worry about them.

"They're fine."

Iruka looked over to Shikamaru who was sitting not too far away together with his friend. The Nara looked at Iruka and repeated:

"They're fine."

Iruka smiled at the brunette, who resumed to look over the village. Suddenly the boy rose up and Iruka perked to attention as well. Naruto came running with Shoromaki. On the fox Shino, Kiba and Akamaru clung on. Shino had a cut in his forehead and his right arm seemed damaged. Kiba had a few bruises and a cut on his leg. Akamaru seemed out of breath but was fine otherwise. Naruto was still healing from his fight with Blood Fang. They reached the shinobis, and Naruto clutched his knees and panted. The two shinobis and one dog got off Shoromaki who looked on Naruto and said:

"Don't forget!"

"Yeah, I won't forget", Naruto said. "Rest now."

The summon bowed and with a swirl, the fox was gone.

"Are you alright Naruto?" Iruka asked.

"Out of breath that's all", the blonde responded.

"You used that Jutsu to bring Kyuubi in material form?" Shikamaru said.

"Yeah, I knew I couldn't beat the guy."

"Who did you fight?" Shikaku said as he started clean Shino's head wound and Chouji started to help Kiba.

"That Blood Fang guy", Naruto replied and they all froze.

Then he was hit on the head by Iruka.

"You fought the leader?!" Iruka screamed.

"Come on, I knew I couldn't win but I had to try?" Naruto whined and clutched his head. "I tried to lead him to Tsunade, but the bastard realized that and led me away from her. I thought that Kyuubi could take him on."

"How much power did you give Kyuubi?" Shikaku said with laughter in his voice since Iruka scolded the blonde about his language.

"Two tails, that's what he said he would need", the blonde responded. "Now will you let me catch my breath? And Iruka-sensei, 'bastard' isn't such a bad word!"

"Are you going back?" Kiba said.

"Yeah", Naruto said and finally calmed Iruka down.

"Tell Tsunade that there is more missing-nin in the north", Kiba said. "Around fifty people."

"Will do", the blonde said and did thumbs-up. "I got a plan how to get them."

"You got a plan? Man, I'm happy I'm not your enemy", Shikamaru said.

"Why do you say that?" the boy said sickenly sweet.

"Because your plans are often very evil", Shikamaru said and shuddered. "They scare me enough that I don't wanna fight you."

The blonde laughed. He stretched and got up.

"Well, Kyuubi's time is up in about 15 minutes, gotta find Tsunade and make her listen to my plan before that. And don't worry, Shikamaru, it's a normal plan."

The Nara looked at Naruto and replied:

"I believe that whenever I want to."

"Fine, it's a pretty normal plan", Naruto said but Shikamaru still looked sceptical.

"Be careful", Iruka said.

"I will", and with that, Naruto was gone.

-

Tsume suddenly saw a flare of red and turned to Shibi and Hiashi.

"Yep, that's the signal", she said. The other two nodded and they began making their way to Tsunade.

Tsunade saw the signal and retreated to the Hokage Tower. On it stood Jiraiya with a bunch of shinobis. As soon as she came, Jiraiya nodded and the shinobis were off.

"The kids came back?" Jiraiya said.

"I saw the flare, dunno about Kiba and Shino. It came from the caves by the mountains where the villagers are. Someone is coming, that I know."

In mere minutes, Naruto jumped down on the roof and greeted the two Sannins.

"With that grin, it seems like you already have a plan", Jiraiya said.

"Kinda", Naruto said.

"Let's hear it", Tsunade said.

"Let's wait for the others."

Soon, the 'others' came. Tsume with Kuromaru, Shibi and Hiashi. Soon Anko and Ibiki together with Genma came.

"Alright, report", Tsunade said to Naruto.

"I got to Kiba and Shino, they're with Iruka and the others right now", Naruto said.

"They alright?" Tsume said.

"A few cuts and bruises, but they were checked for any poisons the moment I left. Kiba said there are around fifty more waiting in the north."

"Many", Anko mumbled.

"I got a suggestion", Naruto said.

"We're listening", Ibiki said, since he knew Naruto often made up very painful plans for his enemies.

"Kyuubi introduced me to a Genjutsu recently", Naruto said. "It's called Youjutsu: Kokushibyou(10) and he tells me it's pretty good paralyzing people."

"It sounds scary enough", Anko commented and was met by nods. "By the way, where is the fox?"

"Fighting Blood Fang", Naruto said. "Dunno if he will be able to finish of the guy, so I'll give you the location. Gaara will go there in about 9 minutes and 42 seconds."

"Why?" Hiashi said.

"That's when Kyuubi's time is up and the Jutsu is released. I don't want my katana fall into that freak's hands. Gaara can feel when Kyuubi starts fading 2 minutes before and will just grab the katana for me."

"I'll go there", Jiraiya said. "Don't worry about your katana."

"Alright", Tsunade said. "I want Tsume with Kuromaru of course, Shibi, Hiashi, Anko, Ibiki, Genma and Naruto to go north and take out the missing-nins there. I will send Gaara and Sasuke after you."

"Hai!" they all said and union.

"That's all, dismissed!"

They all leaped off.

"I'll off to find Bloody", Jiraiya said.

"If you find Gaara, tell him", Tsunade said. "I'll go and find Sasuke."

"Hurry, I think they need him. Sure, Naruto got a good Genjutsu but he's still a kid."

"I'll hurry if you hurry."

Jiraiya nodded and with that, the two Sannins disappeared.

-

Gaara leapt towards Kyuubi's fading chakra. Suddenly a white-haired man came and leaped with him.

"Jiraiya-sama", Gaara greeted.

"Good I found you. After you collect Naruto's katana, go north until you feel the kid's chakra."

"Why?"

"Fifty more missing-nins, and only seven people with one dog", Jiraiya said. "Reason enough for ya? Sasuke is going there as well, if Tsunade can find him."

"Understood", Gaara said.

"Make sure the kid gets out alright", Jiraiya said as they spotted Blood Fang and Kyuubi.

"Trust me; if something happens to him, I'll kill him myself, revive him and then kiss the life out of him…"

"It must be kinda scary have you as a boyfriend…"

"Only when you're stupid and reckless like Naruto", the redhead replied. "Kyuubi is soon gone, be sure to jump in."

"I'm gonna slay him to pieces and feed him to one of Naruto's foxes", Jiraiya reassured.

In that moment, Kyuubi spotted them and give a content sigh, he released the Jutsu and the katana returned to normal. Before it even could hit the ground, Gaara's sand snapped it up and Gaara jumped past the missing-nin. Jiraiya jumped in front of him and said:

"Hello there."

Blood Fang was a mess. He was bleeding heavily and had almost no chakra left.

"Another one…? Fuck", was all the mighty man could say.

Jiraiya grinned; not much of a challenge after Kyuubi had his fun, but the Sannin got to kill one damn annoying man. Life was wonderful.

-

Sasuke sheathed his katana and at that moment Tsunade jumped down.

"Sasuke", she said.

"Tsunade-sama", he greeted with a bow.

"I need you to go north."

"Why?" Sasuke said and snapped to attention.

"Fifty missing-nins are just waiting for death and with you and hopefully Gaara you will be nine people to kill them."

"Fifty shinobis with only nine of our own?" Sasuke said.

"Naruto had a new Genjutsu he wanted to test. One of Kyuubi's", Tsunade said.

"I'll be going then", the raven said. "Can you make sure Kankuro is alright? I haven't gotten any time to see him at all since it started."

Tsunade nodded and said:

"Take them all out."

Tsunade felt shivers travel along her spine at the predatory grin on the Uchiha's face as he said:

"With pleasure, Hokage-sama."

-

Kankuro's both puppets laid on the street, now useless. Kankuro clutched his arm where it had been penetrated by a kunai. Even though he was good at Taijutsu, the guy he fought was good with weapons. At the moment, the Suna shinobi wished Konoha's weapon mistress, Tenten, were with him. She would kick the guy's ass in seconds.

He dodged another shuriken and leaped away. He connected his chakra strings to Kuroari (A/N the puppet he used in the fight against this strange dude in Sound during Sasuke Retrieval) in a last attempt. He let his fingers work slowly as the man approached with a grin. He had yet to detect the puppet. Kankuro blinked rapidly, and let his other arm, with some pain, slide down and connect the chakra strings to Karasu.

"You're pitiful", the man sneered. "Nothing."

"Yeah?"

At that moment, Kuroari grabbed the missing-nin and trapped him inside. Karasu separated into deadly weapons filled with poison. A scream was the last thing the missing-nin uttered. Kankuro dropped the puppets and slumped down. Out of chakra, loosing blood rapidly and got a pretty good blow to the head. His hitai-ate had cracked of the impact, his hood was gone and his face-paint was nearly gone under all the blood. _'Well'_, Kankuro thought, _'this must be one of the most shittiest days of my life.'_

"Kankuro!"

He looked around and Tsunade blurred into his vision.

"Oh my god, Kankuro! Are you alright?"

"My head… it hurts", he groaned.

"You probably got a concussion", Tsunade said. "Man, Sasuke is gonna kill someone for this."

"Hopefully not you", Kankuro mumbled and winced as Tsunade removed the kunai from his arm.

"If he had known this before he went to take out the reserve troop Bloody mister had, he would have been far more violent", the Hokage said as she examined to see if he got any poison inside him.

"Probably", Kankuro muttered. "Have you seen Gaara or Temari?"

"Gaara is hopefully heading with Sasuke to follow some people I sent before, Naruto included. Temari was going to the medical tent a while ago; her chakra reserves were low but she's probably back in the fight by now."

"Sounds like Temari", Kankuro said.

"Now, stop speaking", Tsunade said. "I'll take you to the medical tent; you need more than what I can give you right now. I'll send someone to pick up Karasu and Kuroari for you."

"Thanks", he croaked and felt nauseous when Tsunade picked him up.

"Just hang out", the Godaime said. "Or else we'll deal with a very pissed off Uchiha."

"We don't want that, now want we?" Kankuro could not resist grinning and Tsunade huffed.

"You seem perfectly healthy to me", she said as she started to leap over rooftops to get to the medical tent.

Kankuro felt far from healthy and soon he started to feel the pain. He coughed and Tsunade leaped faster, pushing her muscles to the limit.

"Hang in there, Kankuro! Kankuro?!"

Kankuro was already unconscious.

-

Sasuke met up with Gaara and they leaped towards north, where they could feel Naruto's chakra among six other people. Sasuke suddenly looked back with a frown on his face and Gaara said:

"What's wrong?"

"I thought I heard Kankuro…" Sasuke mumbled.

"Is he alright?" Gaara said with a frown as he reached out with his senses to find his brother's chakra.

"He's with Tsunade, that much I can tell", the Uchiha said. "I'll have to leave him in her hands for now; she's a specialist in healing."

"He'll be fine. Kankuro is too damn stubborn to die."

Sasuke nodded. They had caught up to the group.

"Sasuke and Gaara!" Tsume said.

"That was fast", Genma pointed out.

"We came as fast as we could", Gaara said.

"Gaara!"

They all smiled as Naruto succeeded giving his lover a hug while they were running.

"How far to them?" Sasuke asked Hiashi, as he had Byakugan activated.

"Around another mile straight ahead", he said and Sasuke was impressed once again by the powers of the Byakugan.

"Alright, let's stop and make up the plan", Tsume suggested and they all agreed.

They stopped in a clearing and Naruto said:

"I plan to catch as many as I can within my Genjutsu. I know it can catch around twenty people at maximum, and they should pass out in a matter of seconds. I can only use the Genjutsu once because of the amount of chakra it use up."

"We move in and get the ones Naruto didn't catch", Tsume said. "Gaara, we know where they stay there is a lot of sand, so maybe you could take out a few?"

"With my combined attack of Ryuusa Bakuryu and Sabaku Taisou I can take out how many I want to, but the tricky is to lure them. Once they've seen it, no doubt they'll avoid sand. So when I make my move, stay away."

"Right. Genma is staying with Naruto in case someone finds the need to knock out the kid while he does the Genjutsu and we other take out any missing-nin alive. Does that sound good?" Tsume said.

"Excellent", Anko and Ibiki said.

Shibi, Sasuke, Gaara, Genma and Hiashi nodded while Kuromaru barked.

"Let's go then", Naruto said.

They leaped off.

-

Some missing-nins had found the medical tent and now the Konoha shinobis got down to business. Hinata took them out with her Jyuuken(11), Lee and Gai with their speed and Asuma just knocked them out.

Tsunade came and jumped down on a missing-nin, sending chakra to her leg to crush the man's head. In her arms was Kankuro.

"Sakura! Shizune!" she screamed. "Help Kankuro!"

Sakura got the Suna shinobi and dodged a kunai while running back into the tent. Shizune was already preparing a healing salve.

Kankuro moaned and opened his eyes slightly.

"Kankuro, how are you feeling?" Sakura said.

"Horrible", he said.

"I can understand you", the pink-haired said. "I will give you painkillers so that we can start working on you. We wouldn't want Sasuke to kill us for scarring that body of yours?"

"Heh, sounds like Sasuke", Kankuro said with a smile.

"You'll be fine. You fought well", Sakura said.

"I certainly hope so", the middle sibling said and winced slightly when he got a needle in his arm.

Only a few minutes later he began dozing off.

"When you wake up", he heard Sakura say, "I'm sure Sasuke will be here."

The Suna shinobi nodded and finally fell asleep.

-

Naruto and Genma crept closer to the enemies. Naruto finally got on a good spot and was relieved that no one had noticed him. He reached out for the chakra and caught 19 of them on the first try. He exhaled and started. Genma looked at the blonde in wonder; none of the seals he made was familiar. He ended the rants of seals with letting his thumbs, point fingers and little fingers touch each others tips and he whispered out:

"Youjutsu: Kokushibyou."

Genma saw in fascination, and horror, how 19 of the missing-nins suddenly clutched their heads and screamed in agony. In the next second Gaara performed his combined attack on 14 of them. The other shinobis rushed out to take out the 27 remaining. Naruto released the Genjutsu when the 19 had fallen down. He swayed and Genma steadied him.

"I think I killed some of them", Naruto mumbled absently.

"Well, that was the point so good work", Genma said. "Think you can help?"

"Yeah", Naruto said.

He spoke to Kyuubi and suddenly Genma felt Kyuubi's chakra flare to life inside the blonde.

"Let's go then", the man said.

Naruto rushed out and delivered a kick to the missing-nin closest to him. He crunched down in the next second and thrusted his leg into the same man. The missing-nin screamed of pain but quieted down when Naruto stuck a senbon in his neck.

A missing-nin caught the blonde and swung him around. The boy crashed against a tree and could not stop the pained shout that tore from his throat. He fell down on the ground and gasped at the pain. He could not move. He saw the man come closer through his blurred vision. He tried blink away the blood in his eyes, but no avail.

"Say goodbye, brat!"

Suddenly the man got stuck by a killer intent. He succeeded turning around and saw Shukaku's and Gaara's eyes stare at him with murder in them. Gaara lifted his left arm, whilst Shukaku controlled his right one.

"**You're dead!"** Gaara/Shukaku screamed.

In the next second, sand surrounded the missing-nin and Naruto heard Gaara/Shukaku finish:

**"Sabaku Sousou."**

Blood and flesh mixed in sand replaced the man and Naruto tried to get up. Gaara's arms embraced him and helped him sit up.

"Are you alright?" Gaara said.

"My head… hurts…" Naruto got out.

"It's bleeding a bit. Just relax."

Naruto relaxed in his lover's arms and shut his eyes. Suddenly they both heard Sasuke scream:

"Gaara! Naruto! Look out!"

They looked just in time to see a wall of water crashing down towards them.

-

Tsunade sat down next to the former teammate as Jiraiya stared at Blood Fang's corpse.

"You nailed him good?" Tsunade said.

"Wasn't even a challenge", Jiraiya muttered. "Kyuubi nailed him good."

"Now it's finished", the blonde Hokage said.

"Not yet", the Toad Sannin said. "Naruto and the others…"

"What about them?" she said, worried.

"Their chakra disappeared not long ago", Jiraiya said. "Just vanished."

Tsunade stood up and said:

"We're going there."

Jiraiya got up and nodded.

"Let's take someone with us."

"Switch Shikamaru, Chouji, Shikaku and Iruka from the caves and follow my chakra", she said and the Toad Sannin nodded.

They both disappeared in different directions.

-

Iruka was shocked when Jiraiya landed right in front of him.

"Jiraiya-sama", he said.

"I want you, Shikamaru, Shikaku and Chouji to follow me now."

"What's up?" Shikaku said. "What happened, you look kinda pale?"

"We sent a group to take out the reserves", the Toad Sannin said to the four shinobis. "Not long ago, their chakra completely vanished. Tsunade is already heading there."

"Who were the group?" Iruka said as they started leap away when replacements came.

"Ibiki, Anko, Genma, Tsume with Kuromaru, Hiashi, Shibi, Naruto, Sasuke and Gaara", Jiraiya said.

Iruka's heart skipped a beat. Naruto?

"We don't know what happened", Jiraiya said, "but if they are hurt I'm gonna kill every enemy in sight."

-

Gaara clutched Naruto and waited for the water. It never came. He looked at Naruto whose eyes were shining red. The water had stopped.

"Kyuubi?" Gaara said.

Naruto/Kyuubi did not answer; instead he brought a hand up and shoved the water aside. He rose up from Gaara's embrace and looked at the missing-nin that had made the Jutsu. He made one seal and shouted out:

"**Katon: Kuroi Ho!"(**12)

The missing-nin screamed as the flames hit him, but was roasted only moments later.

"They're too many of them!" Anko screamed. "We can't deal with them all! Some are even waking up from the Genjutsu!"

Naruto/Kyuubi made ten seals and suddenly crunched down and placed his right palm on the ground. He made another ten and placed his right palm again. Sasuke recognized the Jutsu and suck in a breath. Naruto/Kyuubi looked down on the ground and time seemed to stop around him. The ground was shaking and things lifted from the ground. The Konoha shinobis and Gaara stared at him. The missing-nins seemed frightened. Killer intent washed over them and Naruto/Kyuubi looked up. He shouted out with a demonic voice:

"**Youjutsu: Sadondesu!"** (A/N Was in chapter 3)

A rush of air, and then the wind picked up around the missing-nins. Streaks of black appeared from thin air and Sasuke shouted:

"Get away from the black streaks now!"

Luckily no one of the missing-nins could hear him. Gaara stared at his lover in fascination. The Konoha shinobis moved back, most of them impressed.

The streaks surrounded them and they heard screams. Then the black went away with the wind and the wind rushed pass them all, making them fall. The whole area suddenly was surrounded by the streaks and hid them from any other enemy, or ally. The Konoha shinobis and Gaara laid unconscious on the ground together with the corpses of around 50 missing-nins.

-

Tsunade and the others finally reached the area and now stood in shock. Trees bad been knocked over, like something had exploded. No chakra could be felt from any of the shinobis and for a moment Tsunade was afraid she had sent them all to death. Then Gaara moved, and his chakra flared to life. He sat up and coughed violently. Iruka rushed over to him, followed closely by Tsunade.

"Gaara", Iruka said and helped the young man to sit up.

"Naruto", he gasped. "Check Naruto…"

Tsunade ran over to the blonde boy and turned him over.

"Check the others!" she said to Jiraiya, Shikamaru, Shikaku and Chouji.

They nodded and scattered. She took the boy's pulse and said to Gaara and Iruka:

"It's alright, he's fine."

"He used a Jutsu that made our chakra disappeared", Gaara said after a sip from Iruka's water canteen. "I felt like he sucked the life out of me at first."

"What was its name?" Tsunade said.

"Youjutsu: Sadondesu", Gaara said. "Sasuke seemed to know what would happen."

Tsunade looked over to Jiraiya, who was helping Sasuke sit up. The Uchiha looked at her and called out:

"Is Naruto okay?"

"Yes", she said. "You knew this Jutsu?"

"He killed four missing-nins with it before", Sasuke said. "On the mission where he and I suffered chakra exhaustion."

"He used suck a dangerous Jutsu?" Tsunade mumbled.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shikamaru screamed out.

"What?" Tsunade said.

"Shibi-san isn't breathing!"

Tsunade got up and ran to the brunette. Shibi had no pulse or heartbeat. Tsunade poured out her chakra and let it surround the Aburame's heart before gently trying to start it. Sweat beaded down her forehead. Just as she thought it was not working, Shibi coughed. His heart started and she turned him to his side so that he could breathe more easily.

Sasuke looked at Naruto and widened his eyes. He felt no chakra coming from the blonde. Gaara seemed to feel the same and they both rushed over to the boy, in Gaara's case leaving Iruka confused behind. His breath came out ragged a few times, then it stopped.

"Oh my god", Sasuke mumbled and then shouted desperately to the blonde Hokage: "Tsunade!"

"What is it now?!"

"Naruto just stopped breathing!" Gaara shouted while Iruka went pale and he could not move from his spot on the ground.

She gave Shibi to Shikamaru and came over. She looked over him and said:

"What happened?"

"I don't know", Sasuke said. "His chakra just disappeared."

"He was out of chakra when he started on the Youjutsu", Gaara said. "He used every chakra he had and too much of Kyuubi's chakra in his weakened state."

"Shit", she got out. "Alright, I gotta pump in chakra into him."

She got started but only after a few moments she cried out:

"I don't have enough! Fuck!"

Suddenly Sasuke laid his hands over hers.

"Will my chakra be enough?" he said. "I have still much left."

"I will do my best", Tsunade said both to the Uchiha and to Gaara.

She started again, this time leading Sasuke's chakra into Naruto. And soon enough, Naruto's heart started and he gasped for air. Gaara gently threaded his hand through Naruto's hair and said:

"It's alright now. Relax."

Naruto opened his eyes and looked up at them. He smiled weakly and said:

"Pretty stupid, right?"

"Very stupid", Sasuke said.

"Stupid indeed", Tsunade continued.

"Completely idiotic", Gaara finished.

"Yeah, yeah, are you guys feeling better now?" Naruto said.

"Yes", the three said in union.

At that moment, Iruka came forward as he regained feelings in his body. Naruto insisted to sit up and when he got up, he was tightly hugged by the brunette. Tsunade left to check on the others and after Iruka released the blonde he proceeded to hug one raven and one redhead.

"You guys seriously want me to get gray hair just like Kakashi!" Iruka complained.

"No--", a blonde said.

"We just love--" a redhead continued.

"-- to watch your expression when we're done", a raven one finished.

"You three plus Kankuro and Temari are just horrible!" Iruka said. "You're great kids."

"And you're the proud mother!" Naruto said.

"More like a mother that needs to dye one's hair every few days to cover up the gray strands", Iruka muttered.

The three of them laughed.

-

Shino looked over the village and wrinkled his nose. The smell of blood, burnt flesh and fear still lingered in the air. Kiba sat down next to him and said:

"It's over."

"Yeah", the bug-user said. "Over…"

"You feeling okay?"

"Yeah", Shino said and looked at his friend. "I feel great right now."

"I wanna make sure mom and sis are okay, then I'm fine", Kiba said.

Shino looked over the village again, this time with a frown.

"What's wrong?" the dog-user said.

"I have a bad feeling…"

-

Naruto looked up and suddenly whipped around. The others followed his example when they heard a voice:

"So my good-for-nothing brother got himself killed?"

They were staring at an older version of Blood Fang, accompanied by thirty people. Tsunade rose up and said:

"Who the hell are you?"

"Let's say I'm the REAL Blood Fang", the man replied. "And you are dead now."

With that, thirty missing-nins rushed forward.

-

Hinata looked up as she felt a large amount of chakra in the north. Neji looked at her and said:

"Hiashi-sama's chakra tells me he is right in the middle of it."

"Father…" she whispered.

"Stay here", the older Hyuuga ordered. "I'll go; I felt Tsunade's among at least ten more of our own. They may need help."

Hinata nodded and Neji leaped away, hoping he would be of some use for them.

-

"Katon: Fire wall!"

A huge wall of fire came up and Sasuke breathe a sigh of relief as he could hide behind it. He looked over at Shikamaru and Shikaku who held ten people each with their shadows. Chouji, Iruka and Ibiki knocked them out one by on the split second after one of the two Naras had released the missing-nins. Tsunade was fighting Blood Fang's brother together with Jiraiya. Gaara jumped down next to him and the Uchiha said:

"How are things going?"

"Seven people left", the redhead panted. "I'm drained and so is Naruto. Hiashi-san's use of Byakugan has left him exhausted now since he's been fighting with it on for hours now. Tsume-san needs to cover up for Shibi-san since he has not regained strength since his heart stopped. Anko, Ibiki and Genma are the only ones in good condition. We need help now."

"That was what I guessed", a new voice said behind them.

They whipped around and were met by Neji. He looked at them, Byakugan activated and with a grin on his face. Behind him was Tenten, already preparing her weapons.

"Need our help?" the Hyuuga continued.

"It would be very nice", Gaara said.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Tenten said. "Let's show them that we are not some toys they can play with!"

-

Ino got down on the ground with a sigh. She looked over the village and then closed her eyes. Asuma stood nearby with Kurenai.

"Asuma-sensei?" she asked after a while.

"Yes?"

"Where are Shika and Chouji?"

"Dunno", Asuma answered. "Someone said that they followed after Jiraiya, heading north."

"North?" she mumbled. "Hey, isn't that enemy chakra coming from the north?"

Asuma looked at her, then to north.

"Shit."

-

Naruto was pushed back on the ground and Gaara caught him before letting the sand surround them. The blonde was near to drop down on the ground and clutched on to Gaara.

"My head is spinning", Naruto mumbled.

"Hold on", the redhead said. "Stay with me."

Naruto's eyes dropped close and Gaara felt his lover's body grow limp in his arms. He checked the pulse and breathes a sigh of relief as he felt it steady under his fingers. He let the sand fall and picked up the blonde. He looked around with tired eyes.

Neji was working furiously together with Hiashi. They had taken out two of the missing-nins, both who had been from Kumo and wanted their eyes. They were working on their third one, who was a lot to handle.

Tenten was throwing weapons at missing-nins as Shikaku and Shikamaru had been forced to release 11 of them. She was working together with Anko and Ibiki.

Genma and Iruka were defending the Aburame who still could hardly rise up. He was lying on the ground panting and still in some pain.

Tsume and Kuromaru were fighting two at once, doing pretty good despite the circumstances.

Shikaku was currently clutching his son while fighting a missing-nin. Shikamaru laid limply in his father's arms after an attack. Chouji was working beside them.

Sasuke made some seals and screamed out:

"Katon: Phoenix!"

A bird made of fire came out from his mouth and roasted five missing-nins. Then the raven fell down on one knee, panting. He was drained, Gaara could clearly see that.

Jiraiya and Tsunade still fought the leader. He seemed to be strong. He was grinning madly and Gaara got more and more angry.

"_Shukaku?"_ he asked out in his mind.

"**What?"** the Biju answered.

"_Give me some chakra"_, the redhead said.

"**Are ya gonna finish it?"**

"_Ya."_ The boy's answer was short with barely suppressed anger.

"**Be careful about using too much"**, Shukaku said and he gave the Suna shinobi access to the chakra.

-

Suddenly they all felt a killer intent surge over them. They all stopped in the tracks, frozen in fear. Gaara/Shukaku put down Naruto and then said:

"**It's over."**

-

Asuma and Kurenai came running towards the clearing as the killer intent washed over them. They crumbled to the ground and Kurenai's eyes were wide of fear.

"Kyuubi?" she asked quietly.

"No, it's not that strong as his", Asuma said. "But it's a Biju that much I can tell."

"Shukaku", she said and he looked at her. "Gaara must be there."

"In control or not control?"

"It feels strong but not out of control", the red-eyed Jounin said.

"Let's go."

They got up and ran faster.

-

The sight that met them was quite horrifying. Dead missing-nins laid scattered all over the place.

Tsunade delivered a last kick to the apparent leader and she crushed his skull.

Jiraiya got up and dusted off his clothes.

Gaara panted as he slowly dragged in Shukaku's powers into his body again.

Shibi was helped up by Iruka and looked paler than usual.

Neji and Tenten helped Neji's uncle Hiashi up on his feet as he seemed to be drained.

Sasuke dragged himself up, only to stumble. Luckily Ibiki was there and caught the teen.

Anko was nursing a bad cut on Tsume. Kuromaru sat near the Inuzuka and looked around.

Shikaku sat against a tree with the now awake Shikamaru. The boy was pale and had blood trickling down his chin. Chouji was close by.

Naruto sat and was breathing heavily as he watched Gaara stumble to him. Genma sat next to the blonde, holding his badly injured arm.

Tsunade got sight on them and said:

"Think you can help us getting back? I think some of us aren't capable of walking."

They two Jounins only nodded dumbly.

-

Gaara dumped down next to Naruto with a grateful sigh. The blonde looked at him and said:

"And you nag on me not using too much of Kyuubi's chakra."

"I had to, alright?" the redhead said. "Don't give me that look."

The blonde continued to glare at him. Genma looked from one to another, then shrugged and said:

"You act like an old couple."

"We do not!" the both boys shouted.

"You even know what the other is going to say. Typical old couples", Genma continued with a grin.

"I'm telling you, if I weren't this injured I would summon Shoromaki to feast on your arm", Naruto muttered.

"I am most grateful that you don't have any chakra left", Genma said.

Genma was helped up by Asuma and Gaara got up on his feet. He dragged up Naruto and locked him in an embrace. Iruka with a limping Shibi was coming their way.

"Are you alright, Shibi-san?" Naruto asked.

"Have been better", the Aburame mumbled.

"Let's get you all to the village", Kurenai said as she gave a hand to Tsume to drag herself up.

"Sounds good", Tsunade said.

They all got up on one way or another and left the clearing what reeked of blood.

-

Shino and Kiba were at the medical tent where shinobis gathered to get treated. Suddenly Tsunade jumped down, all bloody and battered.

"Sakura, Shizune!" she called out. "Prepare for meeting people with chakra exhaustions!"

"Hai!" the two students called out.

Jiraiya jumped down with Sasuke by his side. To the shinobis horror, the Uchiha sank down on the ground and his eyes rolled back as he fainted. Jiraiya grabbed the raven and carried him while saying to Sakura:

"Chakra exhaustion, minor burns on his hands and his face and some cuts."

Sakura started immediately on her teammate. Seconds after Iruka came with Shibi, and the shinobis went pale. An Aburame defeated that easily?

"Dad!" Shino called out.

"Tsunade-sama!" Iruka said. "His heart is slowing down again!"

Tsunade laid the man down on the ground and said:

"If his heart stops again, he'll die. Iruka help me here."

She put her hands over Shibi's chest and Iruka laid his on top of hers to give her chakra. She closed her eyes and the chakra slowly went out and into Shibi's body. The Aburame's breath was hitching but only after a little while he took deep breaths and coughed.

"Help him inside", Tsunade said. "He won't be able to do much for a time now."

Iruka helped the man up and Kiba had to hold Shino steady as the boy stared at his father.

Tsume came with Anko and Kuromaru, all three actually being able to walk on their own.

"Mom!" Kiba shouted.

Tsume went over and Kiba released one arm to hug his mother. Tsume looked then at Shino and said:

"Your father is fine. He just needs some rest."

The young Aburame looked up at Tsume and nodded weakly.

Neji and Tenten showed up with Hiashi in the middle. The Hyuuga sank down on the ground and Tsunade ran to them.

"Where is the rest of the group?" she asked.

"Coming", Neji panted.

True to his words, Shikaku with Shikamaru and Chouji showed up only seconds after. Shikamaru was unconscious again but was okay.

Next Asuma jumped down from a building with a hardly conscious Gaara in his arms. The redhead Suna shinobi looked at them and then closed his eyes. Kurenai jumped down next to them with Genma. Last came Ibiki with Naruto. The blonde was unconscious.

There was a rush as shinobis ran to help their friends. Iruka took Naruto from a very tired Ibiki and thanked the man. Ibiki just smiled and then collapsed. Luckily Jiraiya caught him.

Asuma went to the tent with Gaara and gently laid the boy down on a bed. Kurenai sat Genma down and took some bandages to wrap around the cut on his arm.

Shikaku just sat down and relaxed as his son moved and pried his eyes open. Chouji gave the youngest Nara a canteen with water. He got slightly worried when the boy did not succeed holding the canteen on his own.

-

Sakura looked at Sasuke as he woke up.

"Hi there", she said. "You kicked their asses?"

"Pretty much", the Uchiha mumbled. "Where's Kankuro?"

She looked behind her and bit her lip. Sasuke's heart stopped for a second but then she said:

"Oh he's asleep. He was in a pretty bad shape when he got here, but he's fine now. I promised him you would be here when he woke up."

"Where is he?" Sasuke demanded to know and started sitting up.

"Sasuke, you suffered chakra exhaustion! Do you know how dangerous that is?!"

"I know", Sasuke said. "I just want to see him…"

Sakura looked at him and then huffed. She helped him up and led the limping Uchiha to Kankuro.

"Now don't move anymore", Sakura said as she pushed the bed she had put Sasuke down on to that it was next to Kankuro's. "Just relax."

"Thanks", he mumbled and carefully took his lover's hand.

"Anytime", she said with a smile and hurried off.

"Kankuro?"

The puppeteer moved and blinked his eyes open. His gaze fell on the Uchiha. Sasuke moved over onto Kankuro's bed and cradled the older boy in his arms.

"Sasuke", the Suna shinobi whispered.

"I'm here now", Sasuke said. "Go back to sleep."

-

Shino sat by his father's bed as they had moved to the hospital. Shibi opened his eyes behind the glasses and saw his son sitting staring out the window.

"Shino."

The young Aburame turned to the bed and inched closer as Shibi waved his hand. He sat down on it and bit his lip. Shibi gently took off Shino's glasses and ruffled the hair.

"I'll be fine", the older Aburame said. "Don't worry about me."

Shino looked at his father for a while and then carefully laid down. Shibi only moved to give his son a bit more space to lie on.

-

Iruka sat between Kakashi's and Naruto's beds. Gaara had refused getting an own bed and was now lying next to Naruto. All three was asleep for the moment. The brunette looked up at the bed on the opposite. Sasuke and Kankuro in one of them and Jiraiya sitting on the other. The white-haired man took a look at all of the younger ones and then muttered:

"Damn kids making us worried."

"I agree", the brunette said. "I also happen to have a lover who does the same thing."

Jiraiya grinned and Kakashi used that moment to groan and blinking his eyes.

"Kakashi?" the brunette said and leaned over the Copy-nin.

"Hi Iruka", the man answered.

"You idiot", Iruka said, "making me worry sick about you."

Kakashi extended an arm and snaked it around Iruka's waist, pulling him down on the bed.

"Kakashi!" the brunette hissed but Kakashi just pulled him completely on the bed.

Jiraiya shook his head and Iruka glared at them both. Kakashi snuggled close and wrapped his arms around his lover. Iruka sighed and brought a hand to pat the Copy-nin's head.

Naruto moved slightly and peered one eye open. Gaara's chest met him. He looked up and stared right into Gaara's green eyes. Gaara smiled at him and kissed his forehead. Naruto yawned and pressed his head into his lover's chest.

"He's awake now", Gaara said to Iruka and Kakashi.

"Naruto?"

He looked up and saw Iruka.

"Hi", he said.

Iruka gently hugged him and then said:

"Sleep some more."

Naruto took a look around the room. Kakashi was sitting up, bandages around his chest and no mask. He waved and said:

"I wanna hug you but Iruka forbids us both from leaving our beds…"

Jiraiya looked at him as he was writing a message on a scroll.

"Damn Tsunade making me sit in the hospital", he muttered as he returned to his writing.

Sasuke and Kankuro were still asleep. Kankuro had curled up against Sasuke and the Uchiha had somehow created a mountain of blankets and they slept happily on.

"We won", Naruto said quietly into the room.

"Hell yeah we did kiddo", Jiraiya said. "And we showed the world that Konoha ain't weak."

Naruto just smiled and nodded. Gaara dragged his lover down on the bed again and dragged a blanket over their heads.

"Are ya jealous Gaara?" Jiraiya said and they heard chuckles.

Gaara looked at Naruto and kissed his nose. Naruto tilted his head up and Gaara kissed him on the mouth. Naruto pressed their bodies closer and Gaara smiled softly when he broke the kiss. The blonde's eyelids stared to drop and Gaara whispered:

"Go to sleep. Everything is alright."

Naruto nodded.

-

Night came to Konoha and the village was silent.

Shino was sleeping quietly next to his father on a hospital bed. Kiba was lying in the one next to them with Akamaru by his side. Hinata had taken the third bed and was asleep as well. Kurenai peeked in and shut off the light.

-

Shikamaru was asleep at home as his injuries were not so bad. But his room was not just occupied by only him. No, Ino and Chouji were lying on spare futons near the bed asleep. Shikaku stood in the doorway and looked at the three of them. He sighed and carefully closed the door to the room.

-

Neji had fallen asleep sitting on the floor outside Hiashi's room on the hospital where Lee found him. The miniature of Gai crunched down and poked his teammate who woke with a start.

"Hi", Lee said.

"Don't scare me like that!" Neji said.

"I poked on you", Lee said. "That wasn't to scare you."

Neji leaned back against the wall and Lee rose up. He gently took a good grip on Neji's arms and pulled him up. Together they started walking. Lee went to a room where Tenten was asleep and Gai sat by a desk. He looked around and said:

"Looks like you found him, Lee."

"What's all this?" Neji said.

"You're going to sleep", Lee said promptly and put him down on a bed.

"Oh…"

Neji laid down and closed his eyes.

"Long day?" Gai asked.

"Mmm", he mumbled and kicked off his sandals. He curled up and absently said his thanks to however put a blanket over him. He was asleep in a matter of minutes, his team close by.

-

Asuma was looking at the stars as night fell. Genma sat down next to him with a sigh.

"How's the arm?"

"Good", Genma answered.

Soon Anko and Ibiki joined them. Tsume passed by them as she was on her way to the hospital to check on her son. They spotted Tsunade who was sitting on the Yondaime's head with most likely Jiraiya. Kurenai joined them. They saw shinobis on patrols who asked them if they should not get some rest. But for now they were content to sit and think about their victory.

-

Iruka tucked in Naruto and Gaara as they had fallen asleep again. He checked Kankuro and Sasuke one more time, but they were still asleep. He looked over Temari to make sure she was comfortable, as she had taken over Jiraiya's bed a while ago, before returning to Kakashi's bed. He took off his sandals and slowly laid down on the bed. Kakashi immediately wrapped his arms around the brunette and smiled at him.

"Think", the Copy-nin said. "Around one half-year ago we had one kid to take care of. Now we got five."

"Thank goodness they are almost grownup", Iruka said with a sigh. "I only took care of Naruto a bit when he was small and that was enough."

Kakashi laughed and pulled Iruka close.

"But it kinda makes us the proud parents over them since they don't have anyone else?" Kakashi said.

"More like the worried parents…"

"That's not so bad right?"

"No", Iruka said. "It's no bad at all."

* * *

(1) Desert Avalanche 

(2) Desert Requiem

(3) Summoning Technique: Shoromaki

(4) Desert Suspension

(5) Rain of Sand

(6) Sickling Winds

(7) Summoning Technique: Whirlwind Dance

(8) Soft Wind (Made that one up for another story I'm trying to write)

(9) Summoning Technique: Ninth Demon, Release (I'm the creator to this one as well)

(10) Black Art: Black Death (Mine)

(11) Gentle Fist

(12) Fire Technique: Black Fire (Mine)

* * *

Chapter 8 done. Wow, kinda long. 

Well, I'm planning to soon wrap this story up. A few more chapters and then it's done.

Alright, in my story I will make up how they fight Akatsuki and Orochimaru. I don't know how they fight in the manga since it hasn't come out, so I will make something up. Let's see if I kill someone. Morbid I know, but sometimes sacrifices is needed.

Just so you know, I'll make Itachi a nice guy since I like him. I think I'll let Kisame be a good guy as well. The two of them are cool. The rest I dunno. If you have read the manga so far you see who the apparent leader is. I will change that, since it seems to be complicated and all that stuff. I'll make my story much simpler.

Next chapter will probably be a bit short. It will center on Naruto, Gaara, Sasuke and Kankuro on a vacation that of course doesn't take the turn they want to. Its name will simply be "Vacation".

Until then,

Ja,

Tiro

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

**The Chibi accident and Kakashi's discovery**

**Pairings****KakaIru****, GaaNaru and ****SasukeKankuro**

Chapter 9 here. This chapter will be rather short but I plan to make a longer chapter after this one. As I said in the last chapter I'll wrap this story up soon, and this is like a break in the story since I have no idea what to write at the moment. I thought this could be a good break. Or good… there will be some things in this chapter making it a bit more interesting.

Enjoy (wicked smile)

**-**

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"_Talking in mind" _(mostly Gaara and Naruto when they speak to their Bijus)

"**Demons speaking"**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Vacation **

(A/N This takes place around one month after chapter 8)

Naruto woke up and blinked at the sun. He yawned and succeeded to get up from the bed. Gaara came in, already dressed in travelling clothing, and gently let his arms embrace the blonde. Naruto was still sleepy and warm and Gaara clutched onto him.

"Gaara, you're crushing me", Naruto muttered.

"Do you mind?"

"No…"

Gaara hugged him a bit longer and with a kiss on the nose Naruto was released. Kakashi passed the door with a lazy 'morning' before moving towards the kitchen. Gaara looked on with hungry eyes as Naruto dragged on a pair of sweatpants and a too big T-shirt. The blonde looked at Gaara and stuck out his tongue as he saw the predatory look. Gaara did the same and Naruto huffed as they left the room.

Temari came out from the guestroom with a blanket tightly wrapped around her. She yawned and went to the bathroom after waving at the two of them.

Sasuke and Kankuro still laid on their futon when the redhead and blonde entered the living room. The older boy was still asleep and Sasuke seemed content to lie there all day with his love in his arms. Naruto sat down on the couch and Gaara slide down next to him. They heard Kankuro take a deep breath and Sasuke's quiet voice saying 'good morning'. The middle sibling of Suna stirred and opened his eyes. He blinked sleepily at Sasuke, who gave him a soft kiss before sitting up. The Uchiha stretched and nodded to Gaara and Naruto. Gaara raised his hand and Naruto grinned.

Iruka came in and said:

"Are you going to waste more of your morning? You don't have an unlimited vacation!"

"Iruka-sensei", Naruto whined, "not so loud. We are on our way."

"Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes; I suggest you get dressed", Iruka said and moved out again.

"You are not going into the room with me", Naruto warned to Gaara. "You just try to molest me then."

"I can't help it", Gaara said. "Shukaku wants Kyuubi **now**."

"Well, he can't get Kyuubi now", Naruto said. "I'm only thirteen."

Gaara growled and Naruto took that as a chance to run out. Sasuke chuckled and said:

"Too bad Gaara."

"I'm going to get him one day", Gaara said and slumped further down. "Mark my words."

"We believe you", Kankuro said and sat up. "Just don't molest him while we're travelling."

"Why not?" the redhead said.

"Because then he gets exited", the puppeteer whined and pointed on Sasuke.

The Uchiha rose up and tried to look innocent. Kankuro snorted:

"Like I'll fall for that."

Sasuke grinned and dragged up his lover. As Kankuro got up the Uchiha claimed his lips and forced his tongue in, making Kankuro moan. Gaara rolled his eyes when Sasuke pressed Kankuro against him and left the two love birds alone as he moved into the kitchen. Iruka smiled at him and said:

"Where did you plan to go on your vacation?"

"Dunno yet", the redhead answered. "We thought about travelling and see where we end up."

"Just don't start a war or run into Akatsuki", Kakashi said from his place next to Iruka on the counter.

"We're not that stupid", Gaara huffed.

"Well, you and Sasuke could be too busy to notice anything", the Copy-nin said, "so I'll better warn Naruto and Kankuro."

"We're not that irresponsible", Sasuke said as he came in, "Kakashi-sensei."

"You never know."

Gaara and the Uchiha glared at him. Kankuro and Naruto came in not too long after that. They looked confused at their lovers, as they tried to bore holes into Kakashi. The Copy-nin only winked at them with a huge grin on his face.

"Did we miss something?" Naruto said.

"Nothing at all!" Kakashi chirped. "Now, eat breakfast and pack for your vacation!"

"Fine", they all said and went to the table.

Iruka smiled softly at the four of them. Soon Temari came into the kitchen, dressed in a simple kimono and her hair wet and limp. She smiled at them before they started eating.

Two hours later four figures leaped out of the village. Gaara and Sasuke were grumbling over Kakashi while Kankuro and Naruto simply shook their heads. They took off towards Wave country, to visit Inari and the rest.

Sasuke and Gaara were arguing about something again, and Naruto stood on his hands on a branch, waiting for them to finish. Kankuro was sitting next to him, sighing.

"How long do you think this trip will take?" he said to the blonde.

"Longer than four days if they continue", Naruto answered. "I wonder how Shibi-san is doing."

"He was released yesterday wasn't he?" the puppeteer said.

Naruto nodded and flipped back to sit next to him.

"Shino was a wreck for a while there. He never wanted to leave his father", the blonde said and stared up in the sky.

"Many people has been a wreck lately", Kankuro pointed out.

Naruto nodded. Things had changed quite a bit. He never saw Shikamaru without Chouji anymore. The brunette always freaked out whenever his friend was not there. He still had nightmares from the attack that nearly killed him, so Naruto did not blame him.

Shino was more quiet than usual at some times, and only let Kiba talk to him. Not even Hinata could get him to open up. Hinata herself had started learning to be a medic-nin and was always busy.

Neji was at the moment in hospital after Hiashi had removed the birdcage seal. It was the first time ever in the Hyuuga clan and many people were still shocked that he did it. Hinata had jumped of joy for her cousin though. Lee and Tenten were training between their visits to their teammate and their spare time. Lee and Sakura were dating, so Kakashi was constantly harassed by Gai much to the Copy-nin's discomfort.

Ino and Tenten were training a lot together as well, not wanting to fall behind. The blonde had made a spending recovery from the poison and had moved on to get better with her family's Jutsus as well with weapons combined with Taijutsu.

They all met sometimes, though. Often it was at Sasuke's place or Naruto's. Ino, Hinata and Tenten had quickly joined Sakura's and Temari's fan-club and the four lovers were terrified. Shikamaru and Naruto were often found playing shougi, more than once with Shikaku by their side. They all had good laughs when Shino failed to stay awake at late nights and often fell asleep on the couch. Kiba usually just shrugged while Hinata laughed and they let their teammate sleep. Chouji was cutting down on eating so much and Ino was proud over it. Shikamaru said that it did not matter to him; a happy Chouji was apparently a happy Shikamaru. Lee and Sakura would often just sit and talk, or holding hands. Tenten always did something with Temari and Naruto had a feeling their friendship would last life out. Neji would be found with Sasuke, speaking about their clans. Now that Neji had gotten his birdcage seal off, Sasuke seemed to respect the Hyuugas even more.

-

Naruto was snapped out of his thoughts when Gaara and Sasuke finally stopped fighting. Kankuro yawned and said:

"You guys finished?"

Without a word, they continued. Naruto stifled a yawn behind his hand; the sun was already moving lower, casting longer shadows. And he had fallen asleep late the night before, and he was paying for it now. Not to mention Gaara kept him up even more by waking him in the middle of the night, wanting a kiss. The kiss had blown out to a full make-out session and Naruto blushed when remembering it.

-

They stopped when the sun was nearly gone and quickly made a camp. Naruto yawned again and curled up next to Gaara. The redhead kissed his temple and murmured softly to him. Kankuro was preparing the meal while Sasuke set up some traps just in case.

They went to sleep not long after that. Gaara took first watch, and Sasuke would take the second. Naruto was asleep as quickly his head hit the pillow.

He was awoken by Gaara entering their tent. The redhead dropped his trench coat and sat down next to Naruto, not aware that the blonde was awake. Gaara gently let the blanket slide down Naruto's shoulder and kissed the soft skin.

"Gaara…" he mumbled and opened his eyes. "What are you doing?"

Shukaku's Jinchuuriki did not answer. He laid down on top of Naruto and forced their lips together. Not so hard, since Naruto did not complain. He was a bit alarmed when Gaara flopped him on his stomach and moaned when the redhead pressed his hips into his rear.

"Gaara, what are you doing?" Naruto gasped.

Gaara went still and suddenly the pressure lessened. He felt the redhead's quick breath ghosting on his throat and Gaara said:

"Shukaku… he wants…"

Naruto smiled a bit and turned around. He gently sucked on Gaara's earlobe and whispered:

"He has to wait. Tell him that Kyuubi is very tired and wants to sleep as well."

Gaara's body seemed to relax and the redhead released a sigh.

"Thanks", he said to Naruto. "I feel all strange because of him now."

Naruto hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"Damn demons…" Gaara muttered.

"They haven't seen each other in so long", Naruto murmured. "We have to let them sometime."

"Not now", Gaara said.

"Definitely not now", Naruto said.

Sasuke checked them a few minutes later, only to find them asleep; Naruto curled up in Gaara's arms. He checked on Kankuro in the other tent and kissed the older teen's forehead before moving out to watch again.

-

Naruto woke up by a gentle shake and looked up in the Uchiha's face.

"Don' wanna…" he whined.

"Good morning", Sasuke said with a teasing tone. "Time to wake up."

"Don' wanna Aniki(1)", Naruto mumbled and the raven chuckled.

Naruto had started calling him Aniki and now Sasuke felt protective over the blonde like a brother was supposed to be. Sasuke threaded his fingers through Naruto's hair and said:

"Come on, get up otouto."

Naruto re-opened his eyes and finally sat up. Gaara was already awake and was making breakfast.

"There you go", Sasuke said. "Now don't fall asleep again."

"Yes mom", Naruto replied and Sasuke stifled a laugh.

The Uchiha moved out and greeted Kankuro with a kiss. Naruto came out and yawned. Gaara looked down and blushed as he saw the blonde. Naruto flopped down next to him and kissed his jaw.

"It's alright", he murmured into the redhead's ear, making the Jinchuuriki shiver. "We'll work it out."

The redhead nodded. Kankuro sat down at Gaara's other side and yawned as well. The puppeteer rubbed his eyes and Sasuke gave him a hug from behind.

"Seems like mister Uchiha is sleepy as well", Gaara said teasingly.

Sasuke growled and nibbled gently on Kankuro's neck before getting up to take away the tents. They had sealed everything in scrolls; that way it would be much easier.

They ate breakfast before moving out once more. This time, they were talking and laughing. Naruto made strange jumps in the air, making a certain redhead's heart clench in fear. Kankuro was reading a book at the same time, freaking Sasuke out. The puppeteer, however, seemed to have perfect control of where he was going and when to jump or dodge a branch. Naruto flipped down on the ground and suddenly stopped.

"Naruto?" Sasuke said.

The blonde seemed to listen and then hissed:

"Someone is following us!"

Gaara jumped down, grabbed Naruto and jumped up again. Kankuro's book was suddenly gone into Sasuke's pouch as the Uchiha grabbed his lover's hand and followed Gaara. They stopped in a high tree and went further up in the leaves to hide. Soon a group of four came in vision. They were all wearing blue cloaks.

"Where are they?" one of them said. "You said there were four youngsters ahead off us, now where are they?!"

One of them flinched and answered:

"They were here when I checked."

"Typical. When you find an easy prey they run away. We need to rob someone now", the same man that spoke first said.

Gaara squeezed Naruto's hand and looked over to Kankuro and Sasuke. They all nodded. They may be on a vacation but they still brought all their weapons along. Gaara took out a scroll and easily unsealed his gourd. He put it on as Naruto and Sasuke unsealed their katanas. Kankuro did not unseal his puppets, but did unseal a sword. Naruto suddenly jumped down on the ground and the four men dragged out swords. Naruto stood up and they all stared. His blonde hair was longer now than before, reaching to just below his shoulder blades, and he was dressed completely in white clothing. His skin had grown paler as he grew and to them he looked like a ghost, or an angel. He opened his eyes and slowly unsheathed his katana.

"It's not nice trying to attack us", he spoke out and the other three jumped down.

-

The four robbers just stared. The redhead was dressed in a red trench coat with a gourd on his back. Black tight pants and black sandals. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes bore into their souls. He had a tattoo on his forehead.

The boy next to him bore similarities to him. He had brown hair though, and was bit taller. He was dressed in black clothing and a sword in his hand.

The third was a bit disturbing. His eyes were red and black dots were swirling in them. He had a loose, blue shirt that widened around his wrist and hiding his hands. Part of his chest was exposed. A pair of black baggy pants ended around his knees, and bandages continued. He had black and white sandals. A pale hand was gripping a katana, identical to the blonde's.

"You said there were four youngsters, not four fighters", the first man hissed.

"Fighters?" the blonde said. "We're shinobis."

"Shinobis? Far too young", the man sneered.

The red-eyed boy disappeared and appeared behind the man, katana directly under his chin.

"Far too young?" he echoed. "We may be young, but don't underestimate us."

The three others ran forward, but the boy in white suddenly disappeared as well and kicked two of them away the second after. The redhead directed his palms towards them and suddenly they were stuck in sand.

"What the hell did you do?!" the leader screamed to the redhead.

"Leave, or we'll kill you", the raven said. "I assure you that we won't hesitate."

"I think I'll pass the killing", the blonde said. "I was given these clothes recently."

"Okay", the redhead said and pecked his cheek. "More killing for me then."

The black dressed one yawned and said:

"Let's just get over with it and get the hell out of here."

The red-eyed sighed and turned around as the forth came running. With two slices, the man fell down dead with the red-eyed crunched down before him. The redhead simply closed his hands and the other two was crushed by the sand. The forth, and the leader, dashed forward and grabbed the blonde and in the same motion throwing away the katana from the boy.

"Naruto!"

The leader held a dagger against Naruto's neck and said:

"One step and he's dead."

The red-eyed rose up and the leader said:

"Who the hell are you anyway?"

"Konoha and Suna shinobis", the red-eyed said.

"Konoha and those eyes", the leader mumbled and then his eyes widened. "Don't tell me you're an Uchiha!"

"Seems like he actually has a brain Sasuke", the black dressed one said.

"Yeah. Kankuro, come over here, the wind is chilling you", Sasuke said.

Kankuro complied and moved. The redhead looked at the leader and said:

"Let. Go. Of. Him."

"And what will happen if I don't?"

"I'll kill you."

The coldness in the youngster's voice made the leader shiver. Naruto looked at him and realized that the dagger was cutting into his skin. So he said aloud:

"Gaara, he's hurting me."

In the next second the man found himself on the ground with one sword and one katana in his face while his body was trapped in sand.

"Don't you dare hurt otouto!" Sasuke hissed.

The leader was now terrified. He had not even seen them move. The blonde was now in the arms of the redhead.

"Who are you?" he croaked out.

"Sabaku no Gaara and Sabaku no Kankuro from Suna", the redhead said and the leader choked as he realized he had tried to hurt someone important to Shukaku's Jinchuuriki.

"Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto from Konoha", Sasuke said and the leader's eyes widened. The Uchiha survivor and Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki?!

"Die", Gaara said and closed his palm, watching the body crush under the sand's pressure.

Sasuke and Kankuro bolted to Naruto. The blonde held a hand over the wound and said:

"Let me rest for a few minutes while Kyuubi heals it."

The three nodded. Then Gaara spoke with a voice dripping with sarcasm:

"What a vacation."

"Not even a day, and we already got into a fight", Kankuro sighed. "This is going to be troublesome."

-

Two days later, and four fights later, they finally reached Wave. They walked on the Great Naruto Bridge, tired and sore. Naruto was yawning and had a bandage around his neck. Kankuro had a slight limp but was fine otherwise. Sasuke and Gaara were just a bit exhausted from their chakra use. Inari came running and called out:

"Naruto-niichan!"

"Hi Inari", Naruto said tiredly.

"You guys okay?" the boy asked.

"We need to rest, that's all", Naruto said.

"Well, come on", Inari said and dragged Naruto after him.

The other three were quickly to follow. Tazuna and Tsunami were happy to see them. They ate a late lunch and then were allowed to go and rest. Tsunami had already made two guestrooms ready.

Naruto sank down on one of the futons and released a sigh. Gaara sat down behind him and kissed his neck.

"Go to sleep", he told the blonde as he urged him down on the futon.

Naruto closed his eyes and was asleep in mere minutes. Gaara took off the blonde's sandals as Tsunami came in. Gaara bowed in greeting but Tsunami said:

"There is no need to bow, Gaara-san."

She put down a tray with cold water and two mugs and said:

"Just in case you get thirsty."

"Thank you", Gaara said and covered Naruto in a blanket.

Tsunami rose and was about to go out when she said:

"You really love him do you?"

Gaara looked at her and they stared at each other for a while. Finally he nodded. She smiled and said:

"Take good care of him, Gaara-san."

"I will", the redhead said.

She nodded once and gently closed the door.

-

Naruto woke up in the middle of the night and sat up. Gaara was sitting by the open window, eyes closed and head tilted up towards the moon.

Naruto rose up and padded softly to him. Gaara looked at him and opened his arms. Wordlessly, the blonde climbed up and nestled into Gaara's chest. Call it a ritual, but sometimes when Naruto woke up and found Gaara like that he would just climb into his arms and fall asleep again. Gaara would hold him until the sun rose. Gaara kissed the top of his head and Naruto fell asleep.

-

Sasuke looked at Kankuro in the moonlight. The puppeteer was sleeping alone on the futon, blankets gathered by the waist and his upper body bare. The raven sighed softly at the beautiful sight from his position by the door that led to the balcony. It was open and he was resting against it.

He had one of those dreams again. The Uchiha slaughter. Only in his dreams Itachi did not kill them. Sasuke had that dream so often that he started to question his brother's involvement in the massacre. His brother was not that kind of a person. He may have not like the Uchiha way, but he loved his parents, and Sasuke, deeply. He would not just simply murder them to test his strength. He never cared if he was strong or not before that.

He had always told Sasuke that strength was not everything, was not a solution. Real strength comes from the heart and soul. Sasuke did not acknowledge that. Not until Naruto showed him on that fateful day at Valleys End.

"Sasuke?"

Kankuro's soft voice broke his line of thoughts and he looked at his lover. Kankuro was blinking sleepily, raised on his elbows. Sasuke stood up and walked quietly over to the puppeteer. He stripped off his shirt and bandages on the way, leaving only a pair of grey baggy sweatpants.

He slipped down on top of Kankuro and gently kissed him. Kankuro sank back on the futon while Sasuke held himself up on his elbows, still kissing him.

"Sasuke…" the puppeteer gasped as the raven started to suck on his throat.

Sasuke made a soft 'Hmm' and looked up at him.

"You liked that?" Sasuke purred.

Kankuro whimpered and nodded. The Uchiha kissed him again while thinking:

'_I'll find out sooner or later if Itachi is guilty. For now I'll follow his motto and live for the moment.'_

-

Naruto woke up to a warm breeze and looked up into Gaara's eyes. He was kissed on the nose and heard the redhead say:

"Did you sleep well?"

He nodded and smiled at him.

"Good", Gaara said. "Tsunami-san came in saying breakfast was ready and Inari was impatient to waiting for you to wake up."

"I needed the sleep", Naruto said and sat up away from Gaara. "Now I feel like a new person!"

Gaara shook his head as Naruto went to the bathroom. The door opened and Sasuke peered in.

"Morning", he said to Gaara who raised his hand.

Kankuro came in after Sasuke and stretched. Gaara noticed a hickey on Kankuro's neck but decided to not say anything. The poor Suna shinobi would only be able to blush and stutter while the Uchiha would try and look innocent. Which everyone knew, he certainly was not.

Naruto came out and smiled at them. He had a red T-shirt and black baggy shinobi pants. They all were dressed comfortable; even Sasuke had abandoned his serious clothing to have a simple blue T-shirt and white shorts. Gaara was dressed in a black T-shirt and brown baggy pants. Kankuro had a similar outfit; his pants were just a few shades darker.

They walked down and were greeted by the three living in the house. Inari continued to ask Naruto a thousand questions about just everything while the others laughed. The whole day was spent on simply relaxing, the actual point with this vacation. None of them wanted to leave and travel anywhere; they wanted to stay until vacation was to end.

-

Naruto sat by a lake while Inari was swimming with his friends. Gaara was sitting behind him, arms slung over a slender waist and their fingers intertwined with each other. Sasuke and Kankuro were lying on a blanket, both asleep. The older shinobi was spooned against Sasuke, the Uchiha cradling him like a child. Naruto looked at them for a while before looking up in the sky with a soft sigh of content.

"This is nice", he said. "No missions, no worries… just us."

"And the gaping brats", Gaara said.

"Come on, they aren't that loud", Naruto said. "Besides, they don't care if we kiss or not. They've seen worse things than that."

Gaara sighed, knowing Naruto was right. The blonde tilted his head onto Gaara's shoulders and kissed his jaw lightly.

"You're beautiful", Gaara suddenly said.

"Am I?"

Gaara nodded mutely. Naruto smiled, a small smile, and whispered into Gaara's ear:

"If I'm beautiful, are you completely hot then?"

Gaara stuttered and Naruto laughed. The redhead shook his head and felt his stomach flutter when Naruto looked at him.

The blonde was dressed in a white T-shirt and black shorts as he had no intention in swimming, but Gaara wanted to have more skin contact at that precise moment. He tugged a bit of Naruto's hair and made him come closer. He quickly stripped off the T-shirt and grinned at his victory.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Naruto yelped.

Gaara slung his arms around Naruto and fell back on the blanket.

"At the moment, I'm holding you", Gaara whispered. "And I have no intention off letting go anyway soon."

Naruto gave up and laid his head on the other Jinchuuriki's chest.

"You're impossible", Naruto mumbled.

"Do you want me to change?" Gaara said.

"Not at all."

-

They said goodbye to Inari, Tsunami and Tazuna when their vacation closed to its end.

"Promise you'll write to me", Inari said to Naruto.

"I'll write", Naruto said, "but you must be prepared that it will not come that often."

"That's okay", Inari said. "I know you're busy."

"Until next time, be careful."

They were waved off and leaped over the bridge and back home. But not everything could be perfect.

-

They set camp for the night and for once Gaara was tired and Shukaku had saved a chance, so that Gaara could sleep a bit. Therefore Naruto took first watch and Sasuke the second.

Naruto was humming softly to himself in the bright moonlight when he heard a branch crack. He stood up and suddenly someone pinned him to the ground. He tried to shout out but his mouth was covered by a large hand. It was a guy wearing the same sort off blue cloak as the robbers on their first day.

"You killed our group", the man hissed. "It's time for revenge."

Naruto felt fear grip him but tried to calm down. The man looked at his body and said:

"Man, for a boy you seem to have a nice body. Maybe a little play won't hurt…"

Naruto knew exactly what he meant with 'a little play' and was not going to allow it. But his arms were pinned over his head with a Jutsu of some kind and the man ripped up his shirt. The other hand was stroking his chest and the man said:

"Such soft skin. I'm gonna enjoy raping a boy like you. Woman always tells when they get raped, but boys don't. They are too ashamed; that's why I like boys more than woman. You can do whatever you want with them."

Naruto felt dread grip him as the man tugged on his pants. This man was going to rape him; he was going to rape him this close to Gaara.

'_No way in hell__ you're going to do it'_, Naruto thought. _'Either I'll kill him, or they will.'_

With that thought in mind, he bit down, hard, on the hand and the man ripped it away with a pained scream that Naruto enjoyed hearing.

'_Serves you right'_, he thought.

The moment the hand left his mouth he screamed out as well to alert at least someone of his friends. Seconds later, three figures bolted out from the tents at once and Gaara threw the man off Naruto. Sasuke grabbed him and dragged him out of their little camp. Gaara picked him up and Naruto started crying softly now when he could reflect over what had happened. Kankuro hugged the blonde from behind and the Suna siblings murmured softly to him. A scream ripped through the night and Sasuke came back, fuming.

"Did he hurt you?" the Uchiha asked softly.

Naruto shook his head.

"He… h-he was g-going t-to rape m-me", Naruto got out and clung to Gaara. "He s-said he was g-going to play w-with me."

Gaara growled and Shukaku flared to life.

"Gaara, calm down!" Sasuke hissed. "The guy is dead, but I think his companions are coming. Let's get Naruto into a tent and then take care of them."

"What if someone enters the tent?" Gaara said. "He's too upset…"

"I'll stay with him", Kankuro said. "Just make sure they get that they don't mess with our Naruto."

Kankuro helped Naruto up and dashed into a tent as more branches cracked. Kankuro stripped off the shirt and gently pulled on one of Gaara's. Naruto was still shaking and Kankuro pulled him into a comforting hug as the screaming outside started.

"It's okay", he whispered to the boy. "You're okay little kitsune. Gaara and Sasuke are protecting you."

Naruto finally stopped shaking and became calmer. Kyuubi was rumbling gently inside him, lulling him to sleep. Kankuro kept petting his hair and said it was okay to go to sleep.

-

Thanks to that, Naruto had no dreams about what had happened.

-

He woke up in Gaara's arms. They had started travelling back without waking him up. Gaara stopped as he noticed the blonde was awake. Kankuro and Sasuke stopped as well.

"Hi", Gaara said gently.

"What time is it?" Naruto said.

"Perfect time for lunch", Kankuro said and sat down. "We should reach Konoha before dark."

The redhead and the raven nodded and they sat down as well. Naruto was sitting in Gaara's lap but did not complain about it.

The events from the night were not nagging on him, but he saw on the other three that they had a harder time melting it. Gaara constantly found a reason to hug him or kiss him. Sasuke let his hand run through the blonde hair now and then, not saying anything but his eyes betraying him. Kankuro held one of Naruto's hands through the whole lunch, not letting go one single time.

"Guys", he said a while later and they looked at him. "Don't worry; I'm fine."

"A guy tried to rape you", Sasuke said.

"And you killed him", Naruto said. "He won't come back."

They sat silent for a long time. Then Sasuke sighed and said:

"I hate when you're right."

"Are we going to tell anyone?" Kankuro said.

"We have to", Sasuke said. "The whole group isn't dead yet."

"Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei is gonna fuss over me for that", Naruto said.

"Don't forget Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama", Kankuro pointed out.

"Or Rookie Nine-", Sasuke continued.

"-or team Gai", Gaara finished. "And lots of other people as well."

"Like who?" Naruto said.

"Ibiki and Anko", Sasuke said. "The Rookie Nine teachers and Gai. Genma as well."

"Shibi and Tsume", Kankuro said. "As well as Akamaru and Kuromaru."

"Hiashi, Shizune and Shikaku", Gaara said. "And a few more we've forgotten. They all wanna take part and kill them."

"All for our little favourite blonde", Kankuro said and grinned.

Naruto smiled while a few tears escaped.

"I'm gonna tell Konoha that they are free to kill them", Naruto said. "I don't care about them; they tried to kill us and as soon they discovered something they thought they could take advantage on, they did. I won't forgive them."

"That's more like it", Sasuke said. "Now, let's get home before anyone decides to attack us."

They all agreed to that.

-

Tsunade was a woman with a temper; everyone knew that. But at the moment, she was worse than normally. Some freak thought he could just rape a Konoha shinobi! Her adopted 'grandson' Naruto none the less! She ordered immediately for a group to find them, and annihilate them while fuming in anger. Naruto said it was not bothering him anymore, but they could see that he was still slightly shaken. She looked at the four of them and said:

"Have you gone home yet?"

"No", Sasuke said. "We thought we would report this first."

"Good", she said. "Now go home and relax."

They all mockingly saluted, making her laugh, before heading to Naruto.

-

Iruka was pacing back and forth after he had heard the story from Sasuke. Naruto had fallen asleep in Kakashi's arms of all the places. Gaara was currently playing with a few strands off the blonde's hair. Kakashi tried to calm the fuming brunette, but Iruka refused. Kankuro just sat there, holding Sasuke's hand.

"The man who did this is dead?" Iruka finally asked.

"I killed him", Sasuke said. "I just needed to get him away from Naruto and kill him."

The adults were a bit worried about how calm Sasuke was, but then looked into his eyes. They were storming with emotions. Apparently, he was still quite upset. Kankuro laid his head on the Uchiha's shoulder and Sasuke finally started to calm down.

They were still, as Iruka finally stopped pacing and slide down to rest against Kakashi's legs, for a long while before Gaara said:

"I hate vacations like this one."

They all agreed to that.

Tbc…

* * *

Abrupt end? I thought so too. Sorry guys that it took so long. I don't know how many more chapters I'll write but I thought that in the next chapter we get two ex-Akatsukis in Konoha who tells the real Uchiha massacre. I'll write like I usual do; all in the Rookie Nine and Gai's team. I like including them all into the story. Dunno how long it will be; we'll see when I get there.

Until then,

Ja

Tiro


	10. Chapter 10

**The Chibi accident and Kakashi's discovery**

**Pairings****KakaIru****, GaaNaru and ****SasukeKankuro**

Tiro here. Here is the last chapter of the story. It took me some times to write it, but it's forty pages so lot of reading for you guys. Enjoy.

-

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"_Talking in mind" _(mostly Gaara and Naruto when they speak to their Bijus)

"**Demons speaking"**

**Chapter 10: The Truth and The new Beginning**

(A/N Shortly after chapter 9; maybe a week)

Two figures stood on a hill, looking over Konoha. Both of them wearing simple black cloaks. The one to the left was tall and had a sword wrapped in bandages attached to him. The hood hid his abnormal face. The one to the right was shorter and black hair fell around his face. His eyes were black as the night and were staring unseeing ahead of him.

"Are we going?" the taller asked.

"Yes", the shorter answered.

"What if they don't believe you?"

"Then they won't."

The taller looked at his companion with mild interest.

"You never relax do you?" the taller said as the hood fell from his face and showed no one other than Hoshigaki Kisame.

"I was not taught to relax", Uchiha Itachi answered as he blinked back the life in his black orbs. "Let's go."

"Yes, Itachi-san."

-

Naruto woke up feeling very warm. He blinked his eyes open and found himself staring at Kankuro's back. Gaara was pressed up against him, arms circling his torso. He saw Sasuke's hand lying on the puppeteer's hip and rose on his elbow. After their unfortunate vacation, all three of them made a habit by falling asleep with Naruto, in his room.

Naruto yawned and turned around. Gaara's soft eyes met his.

"Morning", Naruto said. "Have you slept any?"

"Maybe an hour or so", Gaara whispered. "That was fine. I got to look at you for the rest of the night."

Naruto huffed, but it only caused the redhead to smile. Kankuro moved slightly, but was pulled closer to Sasuke and the two of them continued to sleep. The puppeteer coughed and Naruto nearly jumped at the sound. Gaara laughed silently while Naruto stuck out his tongue. The blonde dressed and shivered as Gaara's hands came to rest over his chest, his back against the redhead's chest. Gaara swayed gently and Naruto smiled. After a gentle kiss on his left temple, the blonde was released. They made their way to the kitchen where Kakashi sat with a cup of coffee. He looked up and gave them a smile before returning to whatever he was reading.

"Where's Iruka?" Naruto said.

"I let him sleep in", Kakashi said. "He was exhausted after yesterday."

"Oh…"

Yesterday had been a hectic day for the academy teachers as they had given their students a full day of tests in the nature. Iruka had supervised most of them, and came home almost asleep after midnight. The Copy-nin helped the brunette to bed and Iruka had slept since then as he had been up for days preparing the tests.

Naruto made some tea as Gaara sat down and looked outside. It was a beginning of a beautiful day. But as everyone knows, looks can be deceptive…

-

Shikamaru yawned behind his hand as he moved towards the meeting place of team 10. He had been up late the day before, helping Iruka stack some papers on the academy after the tests. It had been a boring job, but his former teacher looked really tired and Shikamaru would have felt guilty if he had not helped Iruka. He looked up at the sun and yawned again. Then his father had needed some help finding a scroll when Shikamaru had come home late. He had gone to bed at 5 AM in the morning and was up at eight. That was not healthy. He had a headache coming and felt relived when he reached the meeting place. He slumped down under a tree and closed his eyes. A little nap would not hurt very much…

-

Sakura was at Ino's place as she had volunteered to help her blonde friend with the shop before Ino had to go to her meeting place with her team. Ino's mother was visiting her sick sister (A/N dunno if Ino's mother has a sister, but now I say she has…) so the girl would have been alone otherwise. The pink-haired girl picked up some flowers and arranged them neatly.

Today was her team's day off, and she knew what her teammates were doing. Naruto probably snuggling with Gaara in the couch, since both of them woke up too damn early, and Sasuke still in bed with Kankuro. The two Suna shinobis had moved in, as Suna and the new Kazekage, Baki, had allowed it. This made Konoha and Suna get closer to each other and make a stronger alliance.

Sakura smiled as she imagined it. She was happy for her teammates. Naruto was so happy with Gaara, and even Ice-prince Uchiha Sasuke was loosening up thanks to the Suna puppeteer. She herself had become a better person, all more since she started dating Lee. The energised teenager always calmed her down and soothed her mind on bad nights.

"Daydreaming?"

She looked up at Ino, and laughed sheepishly.

"Guess I am", she admitted.

"Man, mom sure is hard on us", Ino said. "This is more stuff than usual to unpack and arrange."

"Valentine is coming up", Sakura said casually.

"Is it next week?" Ino said.

"Yeah", the pink-haired one answered. "Lee said he would give me a nice surprise."

Ino grinned at Sakura.

"Do you think Sasuke is going to do anything special on Valentine to Kankuro-san?" the blonde asked.

"Not sure, but it sounded like he had a plan", Sakura said. "Gaara actually came to me from some tips and he'll probably come to you as well."

"Doesn't he have Temari to ask?"

"Yeah, but she's not that good with that kind of stuff", Sakura answered. "Besides, she is in Suna right now and has other things to do. I actually recommended you; you usually know what's best."

"Making advertising for me now?" Ino said sweetly and blinked ridiculously at her friend.

"You wish."

Ino laughed and they continued.

-

Tenten was practicing with her team at a clearing next to training ground 19, but at the moment she was doing it alone. Gai had to go since Tsunade had called for him but he would be back in a few hours, so they had decided to stay until he came back. But at the moment, neither Neji nor Lee was training. Neji was lying on the ground, arms and legs sprawled in a very unlike Hyuuga-way as he enjoyed the morning sun. His hitai-ate was missing and so was the birdcage seal. Neji had been released from the hospital three days earlier, and Tenten refused letting him wearing the hitai-ate around his forehead. The hitai-ate now hung loosely from his neck and his pale eyes were closed. Lee was sitting next to his friend and was staring up in the sky.

"Lee!" Tenten called out.

"Hmm?"

"You sure you're just gonna sit there?"

"Just for a while", Lee said. "Even my energy can run out sometime."

"I can't imagine that", Neji said.

"Hey! I thought you were asleep!" the black-haired boy said.

"No, not as long as you don't shut up", Neji said and his teammates had to stifle their giggles. A slurring Hyuuga Neji was not a scary Hyuuga Neji.

"Oh, shut it", he mumbled and turned to his side. "Guys don't giggle, Lee."

"Yes they do", Lee said. "I'm doing it and I'm a guy."

"Are you sure about that?" Neji suggested, a grin making its way over his lips.

"H-Hey!"

Tenten laughed and Lee blushed. Neji opened his eyes and chuckled.

"You meanie Hyuuga!" Lee huffed. "ARE you sure you're a guy?"

"Well, I've always been wondering…" Neji said and pretended to look thoughtful and Lee had to laugh.

All since the birdcage seal had been removed, maybe two weeks before that day, Neji had started joking more and more. His smiles, real smiles not some smirks, began to come more and more often.

Neji sighed happily and curled up into a small boll, making his teammates laugh. He closed his eyes and prepared for a short nap.

-

Chouji looked at his sleeping teammate and shook his head. Shikamaru was resting under their favourite tree, and seemed to be very tired despite he was already in a sleeping state. The larger boy sat down and looked up in the sky. The sky was blue and it was not too hot. The birds were singing and the wind was cool enough. Everything seemed perfect. So why did he have this bad feeling?

-

Hinata was drinking her tea in the garden. She had a purple kimono on her and her shoulder-long hair put up in a beautiful hairstyle. One of the branch members had helped her. She looked up in the sky and closed her eyes to enjoy the sun.

Her father sat down silently across her. He took his tea and sipped it.

"Have you made this?" he asked.

"Yes father", she said.

"Delicious", Hiashi said. "Neji always praised it."

"Thank you", she said and looked at him.

"Resting day today?"

"I will be meeting with my team later today, but Kurenai-sensei said we had free time to 2 PM."

Hiashi absently nodded. Hinata sipped her tea and rose up.

"I know the time is not much", she said, "but I promised to help Kiba with a healing Jutsu."

"He has started with healing Jutsus?" the older Hyuuga said in surprise.

"It's a healing Jutsu that heals small cuts", Hinata said. "With the amount he suffers on trainings, he figured he could need it."

"Be careful then."

"I will be eating lunch with them and perhaps Naruto's team, so I will see you at dinner."

He only nodded and gave his daughter a smile. She smiled brightly back to him and made her way to change clothes.

-

Kiba sat in a clearing, near a lake and watched as Akamaru chased a butterfly. He shook his head at the dog's antics and turned to look at Shino. They shade-wearing boy was sitting by the shore, probably looking over the lake. Kiba sighed and got up. He flopped down next to him and said:

"So, what's so interesting?"

"The wind is chilling", Shino murmured. "A moment ago it was warm and came from south. Now it comes from north."

Kiba narrowed his eyes and looked north. Shino would never lie but why could he not feel it?

"Are you really sure?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Fairly sure", Shino said and rubbed his arms.

Kiba put a hand over Shino's and shivered. The other boy's skin was cold. What was the bug-user feeling that Kiba could not feel?

"Are you freezing?" he asked Shino.

"A bit", Shino said. "When was Hinata coming?"

"In around 15 minutes", he answered.

Shino shivered and rose up. He began pacing, rubbing his arms. Kiba stood up as well and stopped him.

"Shino? Man, you're cold as ice!"

The bug-user gladly accepted the coat Kiba ripped off himself and put around Shino. The Inuzuka boy was happy he had decided to wear his new fur-coat, as Shino seemed to get warmer in it. Akamaru came up and barked.

"It's alright, Akamaru", Kiba said. "Shino is just a bit cold."

The dog nuzzled Shino's leg and he gave it a soft stroke.

"Let's go and sit down somewhere warmer", Kiba suggested.

Shino took one last look at north and then let himself be led away.

On the other side of the lake, two pair of eyes was watching them.

"How did he know we were here?" the bigger man said.

"I don't know", the black-haired one said. "He said something about a change in the wind."

"But that wasn't us."

"He don't know that Kisame. Neither does he know who we were. Maybe he doesn't even know we were here, he just happened to look this way."

"Are you really sure about this Itachi-san?" Kisame said. "Konoha may not be so willing to forgive you."

"I tell them the simple truth", Itachi said and closed his eyes. "Let's just hope Akatsuki didn't follow us here."

"Maybe they did the wind the boy felt", Kisame suggested.

"Maybe." _'But I hope not, for both our sakes, Kisame, and for the sake of this village.'_

-

Tsunade was doing paperwork when suddenly her window blew up. She turned around and froze. In front of her stood Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame.

"Please do not call for ANBU just yet, Tsunade-hime", Itachi said. "We are not here for a fight."

"W-what do you mean?" she said.

"We're not in Akatsuki anymore", the black-haired man said. "And personally I think you need to know the truth about the Uchiha massacre."

"The… truth?"

-

After one tensing hour, Tsunade stared at the former Konoha shinobi. She had the documents from Sarutobi's safe lock that proved the story Itachi told. All the Jounins and ANBU captains were there as well, together with Jiraiya in the background.

'_Uchiha Itachi is innocent'_, she thought. _'He never killed them. Orochimaru killed them. That snake bastard destroyed Sasuke's, and Itachi's life's that night.'_

She looked at Itachi again. He looked tired, but relieved. Bearing for a wrong truth for so long had taken its toll on the young man. The other Konoha shinobis had sunken down in the chairs she had put out to them. Kakashi was staring at Itachi, his mind racing. Of course he had thought it had to be a lie; Itachi would never kill his own family. And now he knew he had been right all this time.

"This is a big surprise", Tsunade managed. "Very big one indeed. But why did you leave Akatsuki, Kisame-san?"

"I had nothing to gain in Akatsuki but death", Kisame said. "And if they realized I had helped Itachi-san get out, I would have been dead by now. Besides, Itachi-san is a friend and I was with him from the beginning."

The Godaime nodded. She let the Jounins and ANBUs go except for Kakashi and Jiraiya after making them promise to not breathe a word about the meeting until she said so and turned to the older Uchiha.

"Itachi", she said. "You must know that this will not be easy…"

"I know that already", Itachi said and looked out the window. "Sasuke and the others will probably have a little difficult time believing me."

"You have to speak with him", Tsunade said softly. "Kakashi, is he with you guys still?"

Itachi turned his eyes to the Copy-nin in slight surprise. Kakashi nodded and said:

"He said that Uchiha manor was too cold, and he doesn't want Kankuro to live there…"

"Kankuro, as in the puppeteer from Suna?" the older Uchiha said.

"Ah, yes", the Copy-nin said. "They are a couple."

Itachi looked at Kakashi for a long time, then said:

"Is he happy?"

"More happy than I have ever seen him", Kakashi confessed.

To their surprise, Itachi smiled.

"He always surprises me", Itachi said, "even now. I nearly thought he would stop but I guess I was wrong."

"What will you do?" Tsunade said.

"I need to explain for him", Itachi began but stopped as pain struck his eyes and he fell on his knees.

"Itachi?!" the Hokage screamed.

Kisame helped Itachi to a chair and the Uchiha said:

"My eyes are giving up."

"What?" Kakashi and Tsunade said at the same time and Jiraiya perked to attention.

"Using Mangekyo Sharingan as I have, my eyes are bound to become blind one day", Itachi said. "If that happens, I will be useless."

"Who said we're going to let you?" Tsunade said.

She laid her hand over his eyes and made a quick scan.

"Your nerves are a bit damaged but I can heal that for you", she said ten minutes later.

"W-what?" Itachi stammered.

"I can heal your eyes", the Hokage said. "It will hurt, but after that they will be fully healed."

Itachi seemed taken back. Tsunade smiled and said:

"Let's wait with that one when you have spoken to Sasuke. Kakashi, do you think…?"

"I'll get him", the Copy-nin said. "Should he be alone?"

"Yes", Itachi said. "Then he can introduce me to anyone he wants, or try to kill me if that's more appealing."

"Don't be silly", Kakashi said and Itachi looked up. "He wants to believe it, you know."

"Believe what?" Itachi said and the other three (Tsunade, Kisame and Jiraiya) wanted to know as well.

"That you didn't do it", Kakashi said softly and turned to Itachi. "He said you would never hurt someone you loved, so he never fully believed you killed them. He wants to believe you're still the brother he knows, and he will probably be happy to know he was right, deep inside."

Itachi was speechless. He was staring at Kakashi, trying to take all the information in. Kisame noticed with some pain that Itachi dug his fingers into his arm, but made no move to stop the shorter man. The taller man figured the Uchiha needed something solid to grab onto.

"I'll get him", Kakashi said. "But I think you need to explain the same story to some more people if he accepts it."

"I don't mind sound like a broken record", Itachi said and finally lessened the pressure on Kisame's arm but did not fully let go of it.

Kakashi gave a small chuckle and went to get Sasuke.

-

Naruto peered into his room and smiled as he saw Sasuke waking up. He tiptoed to the bed and met sleepy, black eyes.

"Hi", he said quietly.

"Otouto", Sasuke greeted and made his way out of the bed without waking Kankuro.

He gave his lover a kiss on the cheek before rising and stretching. Naruto watched him and said.

"What were you waiting for, breakfast on bed?"

"No", Sasuke said and pecked Naruto on the forehead as he had started doing on the morning. "I just felt like sleeping in."

They entered the living room after Sasuke had gotten dressed in his normal blue long-sleeved and wide-armed shirt with his white baggy pants. And in the living room stood a grim looking Kakashi.

"Kakashi?" Sasuke said. "What's wrong?"

"Sasuke", the Copy-nin said. "He's here."

"Who?" the Uchiha said while both Naruto and Gaara were confused.

"Itachi", Kakashi said.

…

Silence. Sasuke was shaking, but not out of anger and hate but by a little fear and a great amount of confusion. Kakashi held up a hand as the young Uchiha opened his mouth.

"He wants to see you", he said. "He said it was time to explain the truth about the massacre."

"The truth?" Sasuke said.

"You were right", Kakashi said, "as was I. He will explain everything to you."

"Go Sasuke", Naruto said. "You always wanted to know; now is the time."

"I-I'm not ready", Sasuke said and gripped his hair as he backed away from Kakashi. "I can't just go in and see him."

Naruto stepped forward and looked Sasuke in the eyes.

"Yes you can", he stated. "Go with Kaka-san. I'll tell Kankuro that you'll explain when you come back."

Sasuke swallowed a couple of times, and then nodded. Kakashi smiled a bit, weakly though, and silently thanked Naruto. They left the house and heard Naruto call out:

"Everything will be fine, you'll se Aniki!"

Sasuke smiled a bit when the door closed. Somehow, he felt at peace when Naruto had told him he was ready to meet Itachi again. Somehow, he did not need Itachi to tell him. Deep inside, he had always known the truth. It had been pushed down by adults who tricked him into believing Itachi had done it. But today he would hear the truth coming from Itachi's own mouth. Maybe after today, he would be proud to tell he did have a big brother…

-

Naruto sat quietly on the couch. It had been only around 45 minutes since Sasuke and Kakashi had left but he still thought it took too long. Gaara softly stroke his hair and Naruto closed his eyes while leaning into the touch. Gaara tilted Naruto's head more onto his shoulder and kissed him. Just as he was about to drift off after the kiss, the door opened and Sasuke called out:

"Anyone home?"

"In the living room", Gaara called back and Naruto looked at the door opening.

Sasuke came in and said:

"Kankuro still asleep?"

"Yeah", Naruto said. "I heard him shift around and told him that you had left but would be coming back and explain, but after that he fell back asleep."

Sasuke nodded. Another figure came in and Naruto and Gaara were puzzled. Sasuke looked at the person, who had brown hair and green eyes with a standard Jounin outfit.

"Drop the Henge Itachi", he said and the person disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

The next second, they were looking at Itachi. He had black baggy pants, a long-sleeved black shirt and a cloak slung over his shoulders.

"Hello Itachi-san", Naruto said and stood up. "Want some tea?"

"S-sure", the older Uchiha said a bit surprised.

"I'll go and wake up Kankuro", Sasuke said and walked to Naruto's room.

Gaara and Naruto nodded. Itachi followed them to the kitchen and Naruto said:

"So you didn't kill them, Itachi-san?"

"No… I didn't", the Uchiha answered.

"Good", the blonde said. "Are you here with anyone?"

"Kisame is still with the Hokage and Jiraiya", Itachi said. "Giving them information."

Sasuke heard them talk and gently shook Kankuro. In a matter of minutes, he had explained it all to his lover and Kankuro smiled.

"Let's get you dressed and introduced", Sasuke said and tugged at Kankuro's sleeping shirt.

The puppeteer got up and Sasuke smiled a tiny bit. His heart was lighter than it had been for years. A burden on his shoulders had been lifted and for the first time since the massacre, he felt truly free.

-

Asuma looked at his team and shook his head. Ino had fallen asleep next to Chouji with her head resting on her knees. The larger boy was letting Shikamaru rest his head on his shoulder but was the only one awake.

"Should we wake them up?" Chouji said.

"Nah, not just yet", Asuma said. "Shika was apparently up late last night and Ino was up too early to get in all the flowers in their shop this morning."

"Okay."

Chouji hoisted Shikamaru a bit better up on his shoulder, so that his neck was not so craned. Asuma sat down next to them and said:

"Wake me up in fifteen minutes, okay?"

"Lazy sensei", Chouji muttered but agreed.

-

Hinata were showing Kiba the seals to the healing Jutsu and told him how much amount Chakra he should use. Shino sat under a tree, still wrapped in Kiba's coat. The bug-user was still shaking a bit and Hinata threw a worried glance at him.

"What happened?" she asked Kiba.

"Dunno", the Inuzuka answered and glanced at his friend as well. "Suddenly he just started shaking. I didn't feel whatever he felt though…"

"Felt what?"

"He said the wind changed from south to north and that it was chilling", he said and turned to the Hyuuga girl. "Let's do this and then find team 7 for lunch, okay?"

"Okay", she said. "I asked Sakura on my way here and she was going to Naruto after that."

Kiba nodded absently, wanting to get Shino and Hinata away from the forest for some reason. He made sure Akamaru was close to the bug-user before returning to the Jutsu.

-

Iruka had woken up to a lot of talking in the house. Kakashi came in and quickly took him through all that had happened. After twenty minutes, Iruka got up from the bed and dressed. He went into the living room and stopped. It was indeed strange seeing Kisame sitting and drinking tea with Jiraiya like it was nothing, and have Itachi and Sasuke talking to each other.

Naruto sat with a book back to back with the tall ex-Akatsuki while Gaara was pointing out something for the blonde in the book. Kankuro was leaning against Sasuke and Sakura listened as Itachi embarrassed Sasuke. The younger Uchiha blushed and glared at his brother as the said person made Sakura burst out in laughter. Kisame did not even seem to notice that Naruto was using him as a support, and only glanced as he heard Sakura laugh.

The man looked haunted, and Iruka could not blame him. He was probably hunted by the Akatsuki for betraying them. The fish-man noticed Iruka and inclined his head slightly before returning to his tea and Jiraiya.

Itachi noticed Iruka as well and bowed his head to the Chuunin.

"Hello Iruka-san", the older Uchiha said.

"Itachi-san", Iruka only answered as Kakashi wound his arms around the brunette.

"Do you want some breakfast, or lunch?" Kakashi said.

"Lunch", he said.

"Speaking of lunch, don't we have one with team 8?" Sakura said.

"True", Sasuke said and looked at the watch. "And we planned to have it at one, and it's almost one, but…"

"Go", Itachi said. "I'm sure we'll be fine here for a while."

"Are you positive about that?" Sasuke asked.

"Don't worry", Kisame said. "We'll be good and nice and stay here."

"Good and nice?" Itachi said. "Not in your case, Kisame."

"Oi!"

Team 7, Kakashi, Iruka, Jiraiya and the Suna brothers looked on as Kisame and Itachi bickered back and forth. Finally Kisame sighed and said:

"Whatever… we'll stay here, Sasuke-san so go and eat lunch."

Itachi looked at Kisame and said:

"That's the fastest time you ever end your ranting, Kisame."

"Not in the mood", Kisame grumbled, "or else I would still be going strong."

"Now go on", Iruka said. "Say hello from me to them."

"Okay", Naruto said as he rose up.

He bent down to give Gaara a kiss before straightening up and walking to the door. Sasuke kissed Kankuro before getting up as well. Sakura thanked for the tea and rose up. The team moved outside into the sun and raced off to the restaurant where they would meet Hinata, Kiba and Shino.

-

Team 8 was already there when they arrived, though looking a bit oddly. First of all, Shino had Kiba's coat on. Secondly, Kiba was alert and seemed to look for something out of place. Third, Hinata seemed to glance over at the bug-user too many times. The three of them relaxed as they saw Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto though.

"You guys are late!" Kiba called out.

"Sorry, we lost track of time!" Naruto called back. "What's wrong with Shino?"

"He's freezing", Kiba said. "I dunno what happened. He said something about the wind changed."

"Shino", Naruto said after a little while. "Let's get inside; I'm sure it's warm there."

The bug-user seemed to accept this and got up. Kiba kept himself close, as he saw Shino's legs shaking slightly. What could have happened to affect an Aburame this much?

-

Tenten threw a large shuriken hard, and desperately, against a puppet. She picked up her scroll and screamed to Lee:

"Let's get back to the village now!"

He nodded and hoisted up Neji from the ground. The Hyuuga had been hit by a kunai in his back and was unconscious. Tenten leaped away, confident Lee would follow. Truth be said, the black-haired caught up with her, even with Neji slung over his shoulder.

"Who was that?!" Lee screamed.

"A black cloak with red clouds", she mumbled. "I know it's important. The clothing, a group… where, and who?"

She thought hard and then it clicked. She turned her head to Lee and said:

"Puppets, black cloak with red clouds! No doubt about it! It's the puppeteer in the Akatsuki!"

"Akatsuki?! Here?!"

Lee speed up and grabbed Tenten. He released first and second gate and ran off with both off his teammates on his shoulders.

-

Tsunade was with Gai, Kurenai, Ibiki, Genma and Anko in the tower planning for some tests of the academy. They all sat spread out in her office, working on papers and discussing with the others when the window broke and Lee jumped in. Gai rose up and screamed:

"What are you doing Lee?!"

Then they saw his teammates he let down on the floor and all motion in the room stopped. Neji was losing blood, and fast. Tenten was unconscious as a puppet had gotten to Lee despite his speed and hit her in the head. Lee collapsed on the floor and panted out:

"A… Akatsuki. A shinobi with puppets attacked us near training ground 19. Neji had no chance. Kunai in his back. Tenten got a blow to her head."

"Akatsuki?!" Tsunade said.

"They talked, the puppeteer and someone else", Lee continued even as Tsunade moved to heal Neji the best she could. "They seemed angry. Something about traitors… they seemed to have moved from village to village, trying to find them."

"Itachi and Kisame", Tsunade said and turned to Gai. "Go to Kakashi and warn them! You others, make yourself ready for a battle!"

They all shouted in agreement and leaped out from the window.

"Shizune!" Tsunade screamed and her apprentice showed up only a few moments after.

"Oh my god!" the younger one shrieked.

"Alert the hospital, and make them ready for more injured!" Tsunade said. "I'll call the ANBU. Lee, hold pressure on Neji's wound until I come back okay?"

The black-haired pressed against the wound and Tsunade ran off. Shizune gave him a towel before getting out herself. Lee pressed the towel against the wound and said quietly:

"Neji?"

The Hyuuga groaned but did not open his eyes.

"Neji, look at me."

Neji moved his head and opened his eyes.

"It's alright", Lee said. "You're alright, just stay with me."

"H-hurts…"

"I know, but you'll be fine just stay with me", Lee encouraged.

Neji whimpered at the pain and Lee pressed a little harder.

"L-Le-e…" the Hyuuga said with dull eyes. "L-Lee, l-let go…"

"No", Lee said. "If I let go, you die."

"Let go…"

"NO!"

Neji looked up at Lee, his eyes not dull anymore. His lips began to shake and he said:

"W-what did I just s-say?"

"Something stupid, that's all", Lee said. "Don't worry about that."

"I-is the wound bad?"

"Tsunade-sama did not tell, but she was confident enough to leave you with me", Lee said, "so I'd say the odds are pretty good."

Neji smiled at him and said:

"Doesn't hurt so much n-now. Is it because you p-pressed at the wound?"

"Dunno…"

"First it hurt like h-hell, but now it's just a dull ache", the Hyuuga said. "A-and I feel more awake now."

"You talk too much", Lee said. "Save your energy, idiot."

"A-are you sure you're a guy? You s-sound pretty much like a girl now." Neji could not hide his grin from his teammate.

"You're not gonna let that rest, right?"

"No way I'm gonna let it pass…"

"Figures", Lee muttered but smiled as he saw Neji become more and more awake despite his wound. "Let's wait for Tsunade-sama now. Don't talk."

"You talk", Neji said.

"I'm not injured."

"Still…"

"Neji?" Lee said.

"What?" the Hyuuga answered.

"Shut up."

"… Fine."

"Good."

-

Kakashi stood unmoving in the bedroom as Gai finished. The man had the same haunted look in his eyes as before, when Lee had almost died during the first attack made by Blood Fang.

"Was Neji okay?" Kakashi said.

"I… I don't know", Gai said. "She began to heal him, but I don't know…"

"I'm going to tell Itachi and Kisame this, okay? I'll have Iruka come here with some tea for you."

The green clothed man just nodded and Kakashi came out. Itachi stood up and the Copy-nin said:

"It seems Akatsuki has been looking for you. They reached our village now, and attacked a team with puppets."

"That must be Sasori", Kisame said while Kakashi gently told Iruka to get something for Gai.

"Sasori?" Kankuro said. "The puppeteer from Suna??"

"Yeah", Kisame said. "Freaky person…"

"Not a person", Itachi said. "Sasori even went so far to turn his own body to a puppet. Luckily we know his weak point."

"Was there anyone else?" Kisame said as he got up to get his sword.

"Lee mentioned another one, but couldn't see him. Do you think it's only two of them?" Kakashi said as Iruka moved to the bedroom with a teacup.

"Hardly", Itachi said. "If it's Sasori, then his companion is most likely Deidara, and that man is not strong enough to beat me."

"I can take out Sasori with some ease, so they must be at least four or more", Kisame growled. "Shit, I knew they would come!"

"Where were they?" Iruka said as he came back. "Team Gai when they were attacked?"

"Near training ground 19", the Copy-nin answered. "Why?"

"Kakashi", Iruka said while is face grew pale. "Naruto told me yesterday… he, Sasuke, Shino and Kiba had rented training ground 19 for today. They should be there by now."

Silence.

Itachi stared at Iruka while his heart seemed to stop. Kisame looked at Itachi, then at Iruka as if not believing the brunette. The Suna brothers paled, and Shukaku grew worried. Jiraiya looked at Iruka for a while and then said:

"I'm going there."

"So am I", Itachi said.

"Don't think you're going without me", Gaara growled.

"Everyone calm down", Kakashi said even though his voice was shaking slightly. "Jiraiya, Itachi and Gaara will go there. Kisame will come with me. Kankuro, make your puppets ready but let's hope we don't run into Sasori. By the sound of it, he seems better than you. Iruka, go with Gai and find Hokage-sama."

They all did as they were told. The Sannin made himself ready and Gaara went to get his gourd; he already wore his battle clothes. Itachi slung the cloak over his shoulders and drew the hood over his face. They moved to the door after Gaara returned, but suddenly Itachi stopped and said:

"Kisame?"

"Yes?" the tall ex-Akatsuki said, looking up from the cloak he tried to take on.

"… Don't die."

With that, the three of them were gone. Kisame look at the spot where Itachi had stood and then said quietly:

"I don't know if I can follow that order, Itachi-san…"

-

Naruto cried out in pain as a kunai struck through his arm. Sasuke hauled him flush to his chest and fell on the ground as another kunai came their way. Shino called on more bugs, and Kiba was nursing a wound on his side. Sasuke gently examined the blonde's arm before pulling the kunai out. They were hidden behind a large tree all four of them, and had a temporary shelter. They were fighting against a large numbers of puppets only, and the puppeteer, Sasori. The other one, Deidara, had been struck by a kunai thrown by Shino and fallen down mere seconds after that, dead. The bug-user explained that the kunai was drenched in the poison he had almost died of, only this sample of poison was 20 times stronger than the original.

"Shino, how is it going?" Naruto said.

"I don't know what's wrong", Shino said and held onto his head. "My head… I feel so dizzy I can't concentrate…"

Kiba looked out in the clearing and said:

"Yeah, but you're taking out those puppets good."

Shino swayed a bit but braced himself against the tree. Sasuke bandaged Naruto's arm and said:

"We need to get out of here."

"But how? The guy controlling the puppets seems invincible!" Kiba said.

"It's strange though", Sasuke said. "You can't just simply control that many puppets with your hands. Kankuro said something about a puppeteer in Suna who could control 10 puppets at once, and that was supposed to indicate that woman was very strong."

"And?" Kiba said.

"This guy must be controlling 20 or 30", Sasuke murmured. "It means we can't beat him. The only thing we're doing now is tiring out Shino."

At that exact moment, the tree was blown away. Sasuke ducked with Naruto and Kiba had grabbed the bug-user before hitting the ground. Akamaru whined and was shaking. They looked up and were met by 20 puppets that all were racing towards them.

-

Kakashi, Kisame and Kankuro were racing towards a chakra signal Kisame recognized.

"Who will we meet now?" Kakashi said.

"The guy's name is Kazuku, and he's one hell of a job", Kisame said as he leaped over a branch. "He has multiply hearts, so I think you need to kill him fives times over."

"Multiply hearts?" Kakashi said. "That's impossible!"

"Well, he has", Kisame said. "His partner is called Hidan. Whatever you do, do not let yourself be cut by him."

"Why not?" Kankuro said.

"He has a Jutsu that allows him to kill his opponent without touching them", the tall man said. "He can only do it in a circle, but once he's in there you're dead. He cut himself, and his enemies get the same injury. He can't be killed, so you gotta make sure he can't get up once he's down. I think you need to let me handle him."

Kakashi and Kankuro looked at Kisame. He turned to them and said:

"I feel Hidan nearby. Kazuku is to the west; I suggest you get someone with you before fighting him."

"What about you, fighting Hidan alone?" Kankuro said.

"If I die", Kisame said, causing them both to snap their heads to him, "tell Itachi-san I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Kakashi said, feeling weak.

"For not listening to him", Kisame said.

With that, the man stopped abruptly on a branch and spun around on his foot so he turned to the left. He leaped off in his new direction, not glancing back since he knew they would not follow him. Kakashi said to Kankuro:

"We need someone strong to defeat a guy with five hearts."

"How about Hiashi-san? He should be good with these kinds of enemies."

Kakashi thought for a while and then said:

"Let's go and find Hiashi-san then."

-

Kiba looked up as the puppets never came and was met by a shock. They were inside something.

"This is Jiraiya's summon!" Naruto said. "We're inside a toad's stomach."

"Doesn't sound very nice", the Inuzuka said, "but it did save us. Shino?"

The bug-user moved his head a bit and said:

"The dizziness disappeared when the summoning surrounded us."

"You were exposed to something", Sasuke said. "Earlier, but when?"

"The lake", Shino mumbled. "Suddenly I was freezing and felt horrible."

"It's over now, be happy about that", the blonde said even though Shino did not look too convinced.

The stomach suddenly melted away and they stared. Jiraiya stood in front of them with his scroll ready. Naruto was suddenly attacked by Gaara, who dropped to his knees and hugged him hard. The third one was hidden underneath a black cloak. They saw the puppeteer, Sasori, get up and the Akatsuki member said:

"Who the hell are you?"

"Konoha Sannin Jiraiya", the white-haired man said. "The others names are none of your damn business."

"I'll handle him Sasori", an awfully familiar voice hissed from behind the redheaded Akatsuki.

"Fine", Sasori said. "He's your old teammate isn't he, Orochimaru?"

The snake Sannin stepped out in the clearing and Sasori left towards the village, taking all his puppets with him.

"Hello there Jiraiya", Orochimaru said.

"They let you back into Akatsuki?" the toad Sannin said.

"After the betrayal off two in Akatsuki, they needed members", the snake Sannin replied. "Too bad; I really wanted to kill Itachi-kun for myself."

"Kill me?" the man in the black cloak said.

Orochimaru took a step back and the man removed his cloak. Itachi stared at the snake Sannin with Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Why the hell is Itachi here?" Kiba said.

"We found out something today", Naruto said loudly, catching Orochimaru's interest.

"And what did you find out, gaki?" Orochimaru hissed.

"How an annoying little snake called Orochimaru killed the Uchiha clan", Sasuke said and rose up. "I can't believe I ever doubted Itachi; he would never harm mother or father for testing his powers."

"How…?" the snake Sannin said.

"Documents Sandaime had sealed away for the right day", Itachi said. "He sealed away the truth and sent me to a kind off unofficial mission."

"Infiltrating Akatsuki?" Orochimaru guessed, fighting to keep his fury inside.

"Yes, but not alone", Itachi said. "To my help, I had a friend. Sandaime did not know that though. I had planned to tell him whenever I got back, but he died."

"Who was that person?!" the former Konoha Sannin demanded to know.

"He's not too far away", Itachi said and closed his eyes for a brief moment. "The only partner I ever allowed."

Everyone wondered who he talked about for a few seconds, but then Orochimaru growled out:

"Hoshigaki… Kisame."

"That's right", Itachi said. "Kisame was on our side from the beginning. Hard to believe, ne? He makes an awfully good impression off being evil, doesn't he?"

"I'll kill you, and then him", Orochimaru said. "Then the Akatsuki can destroy this stupid village."

"Aaah, but you have forgotten something", Itachi said with a bit of a sing-song voice.

"What?"

"We were sent to Akatsuki to spy and now we're done. That means, everything we know, every Jounin, ANBU and Chuunin knows. So you're pretty much screwed."

"And what have you learned?" the snake Sannin said with a hint of panic in his voice.

"Sasori's weak point", Itachi said and Orochimaru froze. "How many hearts Kazuku owns, Hidan's secret, Zetsu's involvement--"

"Wait, what do you mean with Zetsu's involvement?!" Orochimaru interrupted.

"Or maybe, the lack of involvement", Itachi said with a shrug and looked up in the sky. "He never liked you. He's not even here. Because of the fact he travels so much, you haven't noticed he betrayed you as well."

Orochimaru was fuming.

"And I'm not done yet", Itachi continued. "We even know about Leader's shape shifting, so it won't do any good for him (A/N I know that there is no such guy in the manga so far as I've read, but this is fanfic and therefore, the leader is a shape shifter… kapsich??). And his partner is already dead."

"Dead?!"

"Yeah, Kisame lost his temper with her", Itachi said with a slight smile. "He really needs to learn some manners."

Orochimaru had enough, and attacked. But he did not lung for Itachi. No, he lunged for Sasuke.

Faster than anyone had ever seen, Itachi had kicked the snake Sannin back and thrown a Katon Jutsu on him. The older Uchiha looked at Orochimaru, who now had burned arms and said:

"Touch Sasuke and I'll rip you apart."

"How scary we sound", Orochimaru chuckled and went through some seals. "Let's see if the mighty Uchiha Itachi can handle Manda?"

The snake Sannin finished, and hit his palm in the ground. Smoke came out and they all leaped away. Manda rose gracefully with Orochimaru on its head.

"Shit", Itachi said. "I can't fight him like this."

"Sorry to say this, but I'm on Gamabaunta's bad side, so he won't show up", Jiraiya said.

Naruto looked between the two of them and then bit his thumb, raced through seals and hit his palm on the ground. They all lifted to the air and Orochimaru waited to see who Naruto had summoned. When he saw the creature, fear gripped his body.

-

Tsunade was fighting Akatsuki's leader together with Tsume and Shibi. The man had been shifting into different forms, trying to find a weak form for them to use. Tsunade had almost stopped when he shifted into Naruto, but the cold eyes betrayed the otherwise perfect image and she had broken his nose in rage. Tsume had been his next victim. He had turned into Kiba, but Tsume had only smirked and kicked him down. As he looked at her, she tipped her nose carefully with one finger and said:

"I know Kiba's smell. You don't smell like him."

The leader shoved her aside and suddenly Shino stood in front of Shibi. The Aburame stopped for a moment, and the two women feared he had been tricked. But then Shibi spoke with a hint of anger in his voice and the two women understood he was pissed off:

"You may look like Shino, but you lack something he has."

"And what is that?" the leader said with Shino's stoic voice.

"How about two colonies of Kikai bugs?" Shibi said with a rare predatory grin under the collar of his jacket. "I'll fix that for you."

The leader felt something strange in his hands and looked at them. He could not help but scream. Bugs were entering his body through small cuts on his hands and were currently eating away his chakra.

"By the way", Shibi said and the leader turned to the Aburame. "They would never try to kill Shino as they are killing you now."

"I'm not finished with you", Tsunade said and grabbed the man. "Shibi, do the bugs get hurt if I hurt him?"

"Not at all, Hokage-sama", Shibi said.

"Good."

She closed her fist and gathered chakra. She slammed it into his face and heard with satisfaction how the nose broke once more and the leader changed back to himself.

Tsume took him from Tsunade and said:

"You really thought changing into children would save you? You don't know them but we do! There is no way you can trick us!"

She gave him a powerful kick in the stomach and Kuromaru bit into his neck. He fell to the ground and felt his chakra leaving. He could not do anything, not even form seals. He made a last attempt and changed into Naruto one last time. Tsunade stepped up and said:

"Do you think we'll be tricked by that?"

She was taken back though, when the leader looked up and stared at her with Naruto's deep eyes. She looked into them for a while and then said:

"You may look like Naruto, but you don't have the same depth as his eyes. His eyes are filled with love and the power of the Kyuubi while yours are filled with hatred. Farewell."

She crushed his skull, and with a sickening crack, it was over for the Akatsuki's leader.

-

The village was a war zone. People were running, buildings were burning and puppets made their way into the village. Sasori looked around and sighed.

"There are no shinobis here", he said. "What a lousy village."

"What did you say?" a voice behind him said.

He turned around and looked at a teenager with pineapple hairstyle, a Chuunin vest, black ANBU-pants and a net shirt. He had black gloves on his hands. Sasori did not notice the shadows around the newcomer's feet shifting.

"Just a Chuunin", Sasori said, sounding bored.

"Just a Chuunin", the newcomer echoed. "Who said I am alone?"

With that, three other figures jumped down and Sasori observed them all. A slightly taller teenager rose up next to the first one. The boy was muscular and Sasori was slightly taken back by the hatred in his eyes directed to the puppet master. The teenager was dressed in dark grey shorts, a baggy black T-shirt and a deep green vest. Bandages covered his arms and legs, and he had light brown hair falling down his face.

The girl right behind the Chuunin had long blonde hair put up in a ponytail. She wore a deep purple skirt, fish-net on her legs and a tight purple shirt. On her belt was several small scrolls, and he did not understand their purpose as they were only capable of holding around three weapons each or less.

The last one was a Jounin. He immediately saw it was Sarutobi Asuma. He looked at the Jounin and said:

"You think you can beat me?"

"Actually, yes", Asuma said. "Are you ready, Sasori of the Red Sand?"

Sasori stared. How did a Jounin from Konoha know his full name?!

"Surprised?" Asuma said. "Don't worry; we aren't that smart. We were just lucky and had two angels to tell us all about Akatsuki."

"Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame then?" Sasori growled.

"None other", the Jounin said. "Let's play. This is my team; the girl is Yamanaka Ino, the dark-haired Nara Shikamaru and the last, but not the least, Akimichi Chouji. Together, we're team 10."

Sasori's eyes widened the tiniest bit. He had heard of the previous generation of Ino-Shika-Chou and was not very happy he had to fight their children. Secretly he was hoping that they were not like their parents as he had heard rumours about Konoha's first Ino-Shika-Chou.

"Team, get in position!" Asuma yelled and the three of them disappeared.

"What, you don't want them to get hurt?" the puppet said.

Suddenly he could not move. He looked down with his eyes and saw… shadows. Asuma grinned and said:

"Good one, Shikamaru!"

'_Nara… Nara Konoha…__'_ Sasori thought and then it hit him. _'Naras in Konoha controls shadows. Shit!'_

His head suddenly moved and he was shown how Shikamaru had caught him. Sasori was impressed by the shadows. They seemed to move on their own, a sign that the boy was strong. Shikamaru looked at Sasori and said:

"Let's start playing now. Chouji, Ino whenever you're ready!"

He turned his eyes to see Chouji coming down towards him and Ino flashing through seals.

-

Orochimaru swallowed once, hard, as the smoke disappeared and showed whoever Naruto had summoned. It was like staring on Kyuubi. The dark-orange fur and those red eyes made the fox look exactly like the great demon. The fox peered up on its head and said:

"For what reason did you bring me out, Naruto-kun?"

"Um, need help to take care of an annoying snake", Naruto said. "By the way, it's been a long time ago Zetsumei(1)."

Orochimaru choked as he heard the fox's name. The Kyuubi brat had summoned the leader of the fox summoning! Zetsumei grinned before saying the same to Naruto before looking over at the snake Sannin and Manda. The fox-summon could not help but growl:

"Orochimaru and Manda… it's been a while."

"Zetsumei, Kyuubi's younger brother", Orochimaru said. "Worthy of being a leader of summoning but why did you listen to a small boy?"

"He has earned my respect", Zetsumei roared and the snake Sannin became quiet while he was shaking slightly of fear. "He used such strength, that he even succeeded bringing me down on my knees. He can be compared to my brother, to Kyuubi himself."

The former Konoha shinobi froze. A thirteen year old boy with powers equals to Kyuubi no Kitsune?? Naruto looked a bit shocked as well, but hid it good only moments after. Zetsumei shrugged and said to the humans on top of its head:

"I'll take care of Manda; you take out Orochimaru."

"Yes sir!" Naruto called.

Itachi cracked his fingers with a predatory smile on his lips.

"I'm going to tear him apart, limb for limb", the older Uchiha said.

"Happy to help you", Jiraiya said. "Kids, go further away; this may be violent."

The teens did not argue, for once, and a few moments later Sasuke, Naruto, Gaara, Kiba and Shino left the great fox's head to get to a safer location. Itachi and Jiraiya turned to Orochimaru and both said at the same time:

"Shall we begin then?"

-

Team Gai were huddled together at Tsunade's office, trying to treat Neji's wound. Tsunade had come inside just to give them some healing salve and bandages before she had to go. Puppets had attacked the village, so now they had retreated to a dark corner to not attract any attention. Tenten kept her scroll ready while Lee was bandaging Neji's back and torso. The Hyuuga looked on with empty eyes. He had stopped reacting to his surroundings thanks to his blood lost and Lee found himself constantly glancing up to see some life in his friend's pale eyes. There was none.

"I'm finished", he said after a while. "What should we do? He needs a blood transfusion, or else he'll…"

"I know!" Tenten said, not wanting to hear the truth from Lee. "We gotta go to the hospital."

"I can't open the gates again", Lee said. "My muscles can't handle it again."

"Then we have to prove we're a good team", the weapon-mistress said and rose up. "Lee, take Neji."

Lee rose up while carefully cradling Neji in his arms. The Hyuuga did not react; his head rolled onto the black-haired teenager's shoulder while he stared at whatever crossed his eyes. Tenten walked to the window and said:

"You go to the hospital, I'll cover you."

Lee nodded and leaped out, the girl not far behind.

-

Hinata and Sakura hid inside of a shop at the moment to recover from the latest attack. They had been walking when puppets had swarmed inside the entire village and start to attack the villagers, shinobis and non-shinobis. Hinata was holding a small boy that had been separated from his parents and did a good job of comforting him. She rocked his small form and shushed him as he silently cried. Sakura made ready kunais with explosive notes attached to them.

"Should we be going?" she said to the Hyuuga.

"Where to?"

"The hospital", Sakura concluded. "There are people there to take care of him."

Hinata nodded and rose up with the boy.

"You need to hold onto me really tightly now", she gently told the child. "We're going to run really fast and then we're going to the hospital. I'm sure your parents are there or hiding from the bad men."

The boy nodded and gripped the Hyuuga's jacket. Sakura nodded, and they leaped out.

-

Kakashi jumped back and swore. Kisame had been right about Kazuku; he had five hearts. Hiashi jumped down a bit away from the Copy-nin and panted. They had destroyed three of the hearts so far. Kankuro kept the Akatsuki member busy with his puppets while the older men caught their breath.

"What should we do?" Hiashi said to Kakashi. "Two more to go, but do we have strength for it?"

"Let's hope for that", Kakashi said but doubted.

Hiashi was nearly drained, and so was Kakashi. And there was no way he would let Kankuro fight an Akatsuki on his own. He began going trough their options and swore again. They were in trouble.

At the same moment, Kazuku succeeded throwing away Kankuro and he fell to the ground with a sickening crack.

"Kankuro!" the Copy-nin and Hiashi screamed.

The teenager did not move, and the chakra strings disappeared which made the puppets fall down on the ground.

"One down", Kazuku growled. "Good; I hate kids."

"Bad move of you", a voice behind the two older men said.

They both whipped around and saw Ibiki with Anko and Genma. The three of them had murder in their eyes. Ibiki said to Kakashi and the Hyuuga:

"You guys take care of Kankuro. We know of Kazuku's hearts, so it'll be fine."

"He has only two left", Kakashi offered.

"Good work", Ibiki praised. "Take Kankuro to the hospital."

Kakashi nodded and the three of them leaped to Kazuku. The Copy-nin stumbled to Kankuro and felt around on his body to not damage him further by moving him. Left shoulder and left arm broken, a few cracked ribs and twisted ankles. Kakashi gently lifted up the puppeteer and Hiashi quickly sealed the puppets and the parts that had broken off into a seal before they leaped off to the hospital.

-

Chouji jumped away from Sasori's poison attack again and swore quietly. Shikamaru was working in the shadows, building up his strength and that left Chouji, Ino and Asuma to fight the human puppet. Luckily, they already knew about Sasori's poison, and avoided his attacks. Shikamaru had brought up a shadow shield when Sasori had thrown every weapon he had on them. The puppet master from Suna seemed to get more and more aggravated and more violent in his attacks.

Ino had yet to use any of her scrolls, and she was smart enough to figure out they would not help so much. She had weapons sealed into the scrolls drenched in the same poison Shino had on the kunai he killed Deidara with. She knew that they had to kill the puppet master by destroying his heart that was the only living thing inside him. The girl panted and thought over her next move.

Asuma knocked out yet another puppet. The man began to wonder how many the human puppet had. Shikamaru still had not prepared his last attack, so they had to stick to the plan until the very last moment. The only thing Asuma hoped was when they took Sasori down, they would not take Shikamaru down together with the Akatsuki member.

-

Tsunade was on the hospital, currently healing a wound Shikaku had. The Nara winced as she began the final stage, but did not give out one noise of pain. Suddenly the doors burst open and Lee came gliding through them at a great speed, succeeding to stop before he crashed into the wall.

"Lee?" Tsunade said and stopped breathing as she saw Neji's limp form clutched in Lee's arms.

"He needs a blood transfusion now", Tenten panted as she closed the doors, "or else he'll die."

"Go to the medic-nin in room 25; she'll know what to do", Tsunade said and the black-haired boy nodded and got up from the floor.

Neji's head lolled back effortless on Lee's shoulder and Tsunade shuddered. He looked dead already.

Only a few minutes after that the doors opened again, and Kakashi stumbled in with Kankuro. The Copy-nin slid down against the wall as his legs gave up. Hiashi looked inside, saw Kakashi there and closed the doors before returning to the battle.

"What happened to Kankuro?" Tsunade said.

"Left shoulder and arm broken, cracked ribs and twisted ankles", Kakashi said. "He fought an Akatsuki, so no big surprise there."

Tsunade left Shikaku, who sat up to look at the puppeteer Shikamaru had gotten to know pretty well. The Hokage bent down and carefully lifted Kankuro from Kakashi. The man himself slumped further down and succeeded t get out:

"Over…used… Sharingan…"

Then Kakashi lost consciousness.

-

Iruka helped a few villagers getting into the caves. Tsunade had put him, Gai, Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Chouza in charge with getting the villagers safe. Most of them were now there. The brunette's heart was swelling with agony and he wanted his family here right now. At the time of the chibi accident, his family had been two persons. Now it had extended to seven, and would probably grow some more if Sasuke got his will through with Itachi. He wanted them with him. He wanted to hug Naruto to make sure the blonde was alright. He wanted to ruffle Sasuke's and Gaara's hair just to see their half-hearted glares. He wanted to hear Sakura's and Temari's giggles as they watched some photos they had taken. He wanted to see Kankuro teasing Kakashi for being a pervert. He wanted the Copy-nin to surround him with his warmth and tell him everything was alright.

He looked over the village as the puppets raged over the buildings. He saw Tsume and Kuromaru fighting alongside each other, Shibi not far from her. They watched their backs, just as Shino and Kiba did. Iruka shivered and closed his eyes for a moment. Gai would warn him if enemies came.

-

Manda and Zetsumei were fighting furiously in the forest while Itachi and Jiraiya were fighting Orochimaru. Sasuke looked on from their hideout, a cave they had found, worry clenching his heart. His brother was good, but even Sasuke could see the small mistakes he made because of the overuse of Sharingan.

Gaara was holding Naruto close and had his eyes closed. Sand whirled around them all, as Gaara could not keep Shukaku's powers inside at the moment.

Kiba and Shino were furthest away from the opening since Shino had begun feeling dizzy again. Now it had become so bad that the Aburame could hardly keep his eyes open. He was lying on the ground, lifeless. Kiba was feeling on his limbs and asked the bug-user if he still could feel them. Akamaru was whining and nuzzling Shino's chest to give him some warmth.

"How is he?" Sasuke asked the Inuzuka.

"Not good", Kiba answered. "He can't feel his legs anymore."

"Shit", Sasuke mumbled. "We need to get him to the hospital."

"Go guys go", Naruto said. "I need to be here because of Zetsumei."

"Don't even think we're going to leave you alone!" Sasuke, Kiba and Gaara shouted in union.

"Then Gaara stays, and you two go", Naruto said. "I'll be fine Aniki, don't look so upset."

Sasuke's mind was racing. After a while, he gave in and nodded. Kiba lifted Shino off the ground and the Uchiha looked at the Jinchuurikis.

"Don't do anything stupid", he warned.

"We'll try", they answered.

Sasuke shook his head and then took a look at Itachi.

"If Itachi needs it", Sasuke said, "give him your help."

"Promise", they said in union.

"Good."

With that, Sasuke, Kiba with Shino and Akamaru leaped away from the battle to the hospital.

-

Tsunade wiped her forehead and sighed. The puppeteer was stable, and she tore her eyes from him to look at Kakashi. The Copy-nin laid silently on the next bed with Shikaku by his side if anything would happen. The Hokage stumbled to a chair and sat down. The puppets in the village became less and less and she was feeling grateful to everyone. The hospital doors opened and Shikaku dropped the book his was reading from. Tsunade whipped around to see who it was and her heart stopped.

Shikamaru was bleeding heavily from his chest, and blood dribbled down his mouth and out his nose. Asuma dragged himself inside, a kunai still attached to his side but he was still holding the Nara boy. Ino limped inside after him and Chouji closed the door before collapsing down.

"What happened?!" the Godaime shouted.

"Sasori of the Red Sand", Asuma said and slid down the wall. "We… we took him out with Shika's new Jutsu. O-only problem was Shika didn't end the Jutsu i-in time; he got hit by the impact himself."

Tsunade screamed for medic-nins before gently removing Shikamaru from Asuma's limp grasp. She handed him over to a medic-nin and barked out orders. She then let them begin without her and she bent down again and said:

"Are you guys badly hurt?"

"Don't think so", Asuma replied. "You guys okay?"

"T-tired", Ino gasped, "but nothing life-threatening. Chouji… are you okay?"

The Akimichi boy was grabbing his bleeding side and did not answer. He seemed far away and he was slumped against the wall. Tsunade went over to him and gently shook him. His head lolled down and she stared into unseeing eyes. Panic gripped her for a moment, but then she shook herself out of it and laid Chouji down. She checked his pulse and screamed for a medic-nin.

"What's wrong?" Shizune asked her master.

"Chouji's dying!"

-

Itachi fell to the ground and cursed his eyes. He could not see very well, as Tsunade had not had time to heal them. Orochimaru chuckled somewhere over him and he turned over to his back.

"Giving up already?" the snake said. "Too bad."

Jiraiya was still unconscious a few feet away; he had taken a good blow to his head.

"Sayonara(2) Itachi-kun."

Itachi closed his eyes and waited for the sword. Instead, he felt demonic chakra fill the clearing. He opened his eyes wide and whipped around as best as he could on the ground. Red armour, orange hair and manic red eyes. Kyuubi no Kitsune no Youkai stood with a katana in his human hand.

"**Touch the Uchiha and you're dead snake-freak"**, Kyuubi growled.

Orochimaru was trembling with fear. Naruto stepped up next to the demon and showed red eyes on his own. Suddenly a man with black hair and golden eyes jumped down next to Kyuubi. He stood up, dressed in a black battle armour and said:

"**Looks like I can go all out for the first time on many years."**

"Shukaku", the snake Sannin whispered.

Itachi found himself staring at the two demons and the two lovers; Kyuubi and Ichibi. Gaara came out and stood next to Naruto. Sand was whirling around him, and his eyes had a golden twinkle in them. Naruto closed his eyes and let red chakra surround him as he called back the fox leader. Zetsumei came back and after a nod from Naruto, he gratefully returned to his universe to recover. Manda laid dead behind.

The snake Sannin decided to take out the weakest first, or so he thought, and lunged for Naruto. The blonde looked at him and as Orochimaru reached him and was going to decapitate him, the blonde ducked and kicked the snake's legs before jumping up and landing safely next to Itachi. Kyuubi turned to Naruto and said:

"**Go, we'll take care of**** little snake-freak."**

Naruto nodded and Gaara rushed to help his lover get up Itachi from the ground. Naruto then went to Jiraiya and heaved him up.

"Let's go", Gaara said to the blonde.

Naruto nodded again and they left with Itachi and Jiraiya. Shukaku and Kyuubi turned to Orochimaru and both said with equal predatory grins:

"**How about we finish this now?"**

Orochimaru could not move one inch as Kyuubi's red eyes once more bore into his soul. Last time, he had been lucky and got the controlling Jutsu over the demon the same day Naruto had been born. Orochimaru had been the reason Kyuubi went berserk, but now he doubted he would get the Jutsu over the great demon once more. Or rather, he knew he would not get it over Kyuubi; the demon had grown too aware of his cunning nature.

-

Ibiki took one last look at the now dead Kazuku. Genma sucked on one of his senbons as usual while looking bored, and Anko was clearly disappointed.

"I thought Akatsuki was stronger than this!" she complained.

"He was half-dead when we got him", Genma said. "Of course he was easy then."

Anko pouted but they all froze as they felt the pressure of not one, but two demons.

"Kyuubi and Shukaku?" Anko asked weakly.

"Yeah", Ibiki whispered. "What the hell is the brats thinking?!"

"How about we go and look what they are thinking?" Genma asked.

"Good idea."

They leaped off.

-

Itachi was panting and constantly fighting to keep consciousness. Gaara stopped and gently put him down against a tree. Naruto stopped as well and let the very groggy Jiraiya sit down as well. The redhead took out a canteen of water and gave it to the Uchiha. Itachi looked at Gaara in a silent question, and the Suna shinobi nodded. Itachi downed the water in mere seconds and then leaned back to the tree. Jiraiya had done the same thing to Naruto's canteen of water.

"How are you guys feeling?" Naruto said.

"Tired as hell", Jiraiya said. "And my head hurts."

"My eyes", Itachi moaned and covered his face with his hands as to try block out the pain. "Even without the Sharingan, they still hurt."

Naruto bent down and pried away the older Uchiha's hands from his eyes. He gently rubbed the area around the eyes with his small thumbs and after a few minutes, the Uchiha began to relax. Gaara looked at Naruto and said:

"You work wonders with massage do you know that?"

"Seems like the Uchihas are the weakest against my massage", the blonde chuckled. "Aniki always melts whenever I take care of his shoulders."

"Aniki?" Itachi mumbled.

"I call Sasuke that", Naruto mumbled. "He said he liked it."

"Aniki…" Itachi echoed. "He always called me Nii-san."

"Maybe he didn't want to confuse it", Naruto said and shrugged. "You're Nii-san and he's Aniki. That way you won't mix it up."

"True."

Naruto finished five minutes later, and Itachi was reluctant to open his eyes. When he did, the pain was only a dull ache.

"Let's go", Naruto said. "We need to get you to the hospital, Itachi-san."

The Uchiha let himself be dragged up once more by the redhead and they leaped off.

-

Tsunade was sitting by Shikamaru, her mind racing and thousands possibilities ran through her head. His bleeding did not stop from his mouth and nose; he was given frequent blood transfusions but was still dying. She got up and began pacing. Shikaku was staring at his son, holding one limp hand loosely.

Suddenly the hospital doors opened once again and Tsunade looked up. Sasuke, Kiba, Shino… something was wrong with the picture. Kiba was holding Shino, and Shino was bleeding… from his nose and mouth. Just like the Nara boy.

"What happened?" she said.

"I don't know", Kiba answered desperately. "Suddenly it just started coming blood from his mouth and nose! He's not even injured!"

'_Same as Shikamaru. Shikamaru has wounds, but they don't cause the bleeding. What's going on?'_

Tsunade was thinking hard as Kiba laid down the Aburame on a bed when Shikamaru raised his voice high enough to be heard:

"P… poi…"

They all turned to Shikamaru. He was staring intently at Kiba, as trying to say something. Kiba came close and said:

"What?"

"Po…i…son", Shikamaru gasped out. "Ch-chillin…g w-wind… n-north…"

Tsunade did not understand but Kiba's head snapped up.

"A chilling wind in the north", Kiba said. "Shino said the same thing, and then he started freezing. Did it happen to you as well, Shika?"

The Nara boy nodded.

"Couldn't m-move", the brunette continued. "W-was about t-to release my J-Jutsu when suddenly I c-couldn't move…"

"You lose the feeling of your own body", Kiba said. "Shino couldn't move, he could hardly do anything. You say it's poison, why?"

"Sasori… he knew I w-was affected… saw it on h-his face. He knew h-his po-poi… son w-worked…"

Shikamaru started coughing up blood and they all started to think if there was any antidote. Suddenly Sasuke spoke up:

"Where's Sasori's body?"

"Near the Tower", Asuma said weakly. "Why?"

Sasuke did not answer; instead he just dragged Kiba with him and ran out.

-

Naruto suddenly stopped and looked in the other direction.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Gaara shouted.

"Kisame-san", the blonde mumbled and Itachi froze. "His chakra is disappearing…"

"I have to go", the Uchiha said but fell down on his knees by the sheer pain in his eyes.

"Impossible", Jiraiya said. "You'll only get yourself killed!"

"I'll go", Naruto said and turned to look at Itachi. "Don't worry."

"Naruto!" Gaara shouted but the blonde had already leaped away.

Itachi was staring at the spot where the boy had stood. Kisame… His vision blurred and he touched his cheeks. They were wet… why were they wet? Was he crying? Was Uchiha Itachi crying? He looked up at Gaara and said:

"I need to go… I need to make sure Kisame is alright."

The redhead hesitated, and then turned to Jiraiya.

"Go to the village, Jiraiya-sama", the Jinchuuriki said. "I'll take Itachi-san to Kisame-san and Naruto."

"I can't stop you can I?" the white-haired man said.

"No", they both said.

"If you aren't careful, I'll kill you", Jiraiya warned.

They both nodded and he gave his permission. Itachi staggered up on his feet and Gaara took a good hold on the man before leaped after Naruto.

-

Kisame got up on his knees but no further. Hidan looked at the former Akatsuki and said:

"You're one tuff man to beat. But it ends here you know. The ritual is complete."

Kisame was bleeding through a cut on his neck; any longer and he would lose his voice and soon after that, his life.

"Farewell", Hidan said and raised his weapon.

In the next moment, he was kicked away from his circle by a blur of black and red. Kisame looked at the creature and almost choked.

Naruto, in his black trench coat, surrounded by red chakra. His eyes were shining and Kisame could just sit there and stare at the child.

Hidan rose up and screamed:

"Who the hell are you?!"

"I am Uzumaki Naruto, child to the Yondaime Hokage", Naruto said and the Akatsuki member froze. "I am a shinobi of Konoha. I am also the container, the Jinchuuriki, to Kyuubi no Kitsune no Youkai. I am the so called monster of Konoha."

Hidan looked at Naruto, whose chakra changed from red to blinding white. It seemed like time stopped around the blonde. Small stones and dirt rose from the ground around him before slowly starting to rotate around him. The wind was being dragged towards him and settled in to wound around the teen like a shield, and the Akatsuki member seemed to lose all colour in his face.

The blonde crunched down on the ground and made ten seals. He then put his right palm down on the ground before starting over. Hidan looked at him and then screamed out:

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Naruto gave no answer and made a final seal. He looked up with deep blue-red eyes and said:

"Youjutsu: Sadondesu."

Kisame looked on, terrified, as black streaks came up from the ground and gathered around Naruto, just like the wind, before being pushed out by the white chakra. The streaks were directed to Hidan, who was frozen on his place. The streaks went to him and surrounded him. The tall ex-Akatsuki heard the most terrified scream in his entire life and then the streaks was thrown outwards. The streaks hit him and the world went black.

-

Ibiki, Anko and Genma reached the clearing with the dead Manda and looked horrified on it. It had big claw marks on its skin and they looked at each other. Carefully they made their way to the next clearing and was standing there, staring.

Orochimaru's corpse laid in the middle of the clearing. His head was lying a few feet away. Two men, one orange-haired and one black-haired one, stood a bit away from the corpse. They were radiating demon chakra. The orange-haired one looked up and saw them.

"**Oi!"** he called out to them and they all snapped to attention. **"Bring me back to Naruto after I release the Jutsu, okay?"**

"**Take me to Gaara"**, the black-haired one said.

"What are you talking about?" Ibiki said but they did not answer.

They both raised their hands and screamed **'Kai!' **and smoke erupted. A katana was stuck on the ground with a necklace around it after the smoke cleared. The katana radiated Kyuubi, and the necklace Shukaku.

"That was Kyuubi and Shukaku?" Anko said.

Genma went into the clearing and picked up the katana and the necklace shone in the sun from its position. The chakra radiating through them seemed to calm down and soon quieted.

"Let's go", Genma said.

The other two did not protest.

-

Gaara and Itachi reached the clearing and stopped to survey the damages. Both Naruto and Kisame laid unmoving on the ground. Itachi stumbled to Kisame while Gaara ran to Naruto. The blonde coughed a few times and opened his eyes. Gaara gently lifted him up and held him tightly.

A pained scream from Itachi made them whip their heads to look at him. The older Uchiha was clutching an unmoving Kisame. The man had a trickle of blood running from his mouth and his eyes were closed. Itachi hit Kisame's chest and screamed out:

"Don't die on me, you idiot!"

Kisame did not react or move. Itachi laid him down but still hit on his chest. The two boys made their way there but did not touch the Uchiha. He broke out in cries and weakly hit Kisame's chest once more before lying his head on it. Naruto dropped down next to Itachi and Gaara crunched down behind the blonde.

"Kisame you idiot", Itachi whispered. "Answer me, you damn idiot."

Only silence answered his pleading.

-

Shibi was stroking his son's forehead, and tried to ease the pain. Blood still came out. He looked over at Shikaku and Shikamaru. Nothing had changed there. Tsunade was pacing back and forth when Sasuke and Kiba rushed inside. They had identical grins on their faces.

"What?" Tsunade said.

Sasuke threw a vial to Kiba, who grabbed it and went to Shino. Sasuke ran over to Shikamaru. They both made the Aburame and the Nara drink the liquid in the vials before anyone could protest. Only a few minutes later, the blood stopped. Shikamaru coughed but no blood came out. He opened his eyes and stared at Sasuke. Then he grinned weakly and rasped:

"You figured it out?"

"Yeah", Sasuke said. "You knew he had an antidote didn't you?"

"I wasn't 100 percent sure, but I thought he had to have one", the Nara whispered.

"You did well", the Uchiha said. "Rest now."

Kiba grinned and then looked at Shino… only to meet Shino's open eyes. His shades had been removed at some time, but he did not seem to notice. He was still looking at Kiba, then he looked up to his father. Shibi could only offer him a weak smile.

Suddenly a medic-nin came forth and whispered something to Tsunade. The Hokage shone up and thanked the man. She turned to them and said:

"Chouji is stable now. He lost some blood, but other than that he should be fine."

"What happened?" Shikamaru said.

"He had major internal bleedings", Tsunade said. "But he's fine now, so don't get up Shikamaru."

The boy nodded and fell back on the bed as he had started to rise up. Shikaku looked at his son with fond eyes. Sasuke turned to Tsunade and said:

"Have you seen Kankuro?"

"He's up in a room with Kakashi", the Godaime said. "He was a bit messed up but stable."

The Uchiha looked at her with a silent plea and the Hokage just said:

"Room 48."

"Thanks."

With that, Sasuke went to Kankuro and the Copy-nin.

-

Itachi thought he heard a heartbeat and sat up abruptly, eyes wide and his heart swelling with hope. Kisame took a breath and opened his eyes. Itachi heard Naruto and Gaara exhale loudly but did not register it. Instead he concentrated to look into Kisame's eyes without breaking out in cries. The fish-man coughed and said weakly:

"I was going to fuck your order and just die… but you are really too loud, Itachi-san."

"Shut up you idiot", Itachi said.

"I think my throat is kinda hurt", the tall man admitted and coughed again.

"His vocals are damaged", Naruto said to Itachi. "Let's get him to a medic-nin."

"Aa."

Together, they succeeded to get themselves off the ground. Itachi dragged up Kisame's heavy sword and swung it on his back. Kisame looked at him, eyebrow lifted in a silent question and the Uchiha answered:

"You're too hurt to carry it."

"What about you?" the blonde kitsune snapped. "You can hardly walk on your own."

"Mind your own business", Itachi huffed.

"You Uchihas are all the same", Naruto sighed.

"Too stubborn for their own good?" Kisame said and the blonde nodded. "Yeah, I've experienced that as well."

"Shut up!" Itachi said and Gaara only shook his head before starting walking with Kisame leaning heavily on him.

-

Lee thanked the medic-nin and pushed the door open as he was carrying Neji. He met Hinata in the hall and the younger Hyuuga paled even further than before.

"He's fine", Lee said quickly to calm her down. "It was pretty close for a while, but he's alright now. Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, I'm fine", Hinata said. "Tsunade-sama told me Neji-niisan was hurt and I thought I would find him…"

"He's in good care now", the black-haired one said. "I'm going to put him in room 48 with Kankuro-san and Kakashi-san, okay? You can visit later."

"Hai", she said. "I should go and check on Kiba-kun and Shino-kun."

With that and a last look at Neji, Hinata disappeared. Tenten came in view and said:

"Let's go and put him in bed."

Lee gazed down at the Hyuuga as they walked. He was too pale, but he was breathing. He was too weak, but still alive. That was all that mattered. Strength could be build up again.

-

Tsunade was waiting in the entrance hall of the hospital together with Iruka and Sasuke. They had felt the two Jinchuurikis and the two ex-Akatsukis chakra and now ended up there to wait for them. Genma had given Sasuke the katana and the necklace, who now both were secure with Kankuro, Kakashi and Jiraiya.

The doors opened and Sasuke exhaled. Naruto was first with Itachi. The older Uchiha was having trouble staying on his feet, so the blonde dragged him to a bed and put him down. He gently took off Kisame's heavy sword from Itachi's back and said to Tsunade:

"His eyes are the problem."

"I can heal them, but right now I'm too weak", the Godaime answered. "Can you wait a few hours, Itachi?"

The Uchiha nodded and relaxed on the bed. Gaara came in with Kisame and Tsunade dragged her breath. The tall man had a hole through his neck. His breath was forced and he seemed having trouble getting air down his throat. Shizune came forth and said:

"I can heal him, Tsunade-sama. Just focus on resting."

Tsunade nodded and Shizune helped Gaara to put Kisame down. Iruka had under that time almost crushed Naruto with a hug and Sasuke sat down on Itachi's bed. The older Uchiha turned his head towards the younger one, eyes closed and said:

"Sasuke?"

"I'm here", the black-haired teen answered.

Itachi nodded and coughed.

Gaara went to Iruka and said:

"Everything okay?"

"Kankuro and Kakashi got hurt", the brunette Chuunin said. "But me and Sasuke have visited them, they're fine."

Gaara looked at the brunette, and then towards the door that led to the different rooms. He bit his lip and looked back at them.

"How about Itachi goes to room 48 and then we get Kisame there when we finished treating him?" Tsunade said with a wink.

"Sounds good", Sasuke said.

Itachi was helped up by Sasuke and they left to go to Kankuro, Kakashi and Jiraiya.

-

Luckily, Gaara and Naruto had decided to go in first and had met team Gai. They quickly explained some things before they let Sasuke and Itachi go in. Kakashi and Kankuro were still asleep and Jiraiya was sitting on the window sill with the window open and smoking. Lee looked at the elder Uchiha and said:

"Is he alright?"

"He's going to be", the younger Uchiha said before Itachi had time to answer. "Sit down Itachi."

Sasuke gently lowered Itachi down on a chair next to Kakashi's bed while Gaara went to his big brother's bed. Iruka sat down on the Copy-nin's bed and asked Tenten and Lee:

"How's Neji?"

"Getting better", Tenten said and absently stroke Neji's forehead. "He was close there for a while, but after the blood transfusion he got better."

Lee nodded and held onto the Hyuuga's right hand.

"Where is the guy Itachi-san had with him?" Tenten said and Jiraiya decided to listen since he wanted to know where Kisame were.

"Shizune is healing him", Naruto said. "He has a hole through his neck thanks to an Akatsuki member."

The two awake in team Gai and Jiraiya stared at the blonde, as if he was joking. Gaara looked at the three of them in turn before saying:

"It's not a joke. I saw it too."

"Me too", Itachi mumbled and Sasuke nodded to them, silently saying he had too.

"Is HE alright then?" Tenten said.

"He should be", Naruto said. "He was able to walk with a little help here."

"A little?" the redhead said. "I was practically dragging him."

"Well, he was awake", the blonde responded.

"True."

Gaara sat down next to Kankuro's head and looked him over. His left shoulder and arm was bandaged and he had some cuts in his face. At that moment, the puppeteer's eyes fluttered open and he stared at Gaara.

"Hi", the redheaded Jinchuuriki said.

"Hi", Kankuro said back.

"You awake now?" they heard Iruka softly ask and Kankuro nodded.

He felt a careful hand on his chest and looked up at Sasuke's face. He smiled at the Uchiha and Gaara left them to let them have some privacy. He embraced Naruto from behind and snuggled into the blonde's neck. The boy giggled and said it tickled. Jiraiya shook his head at them and then returned to gaze out the window.

-

As the day progressed, the shinobis started to get away the puppets from the streets, some of them still with some device to explode when touched and so on. Only a few villagers got to their houses to see the damages; the streets were still too dangerous for them. The hospital was full with injured shinobis and some villagers, and the Hokage had a busy day after her rest. The first thing she did was to go and heal Itachi's eyes. She gently took away her hands and said:

"Does it hurt, Itachi?"

"Not so much", the Uchiha said.

"Try open them", the Godaime said.

Itachi blinked a couple of times, and then opened them fully. Tsunade made a scan and said:

"They will be tender for a couple of days, so avoid sunlight until the pain is completely gone. Kisame is on his way up here, okay? I've already arranged so that he'll get a bed in here."

The older Uchiha nodded and closed his eyes again. She rose up and checked on Kakashi, Kankuro and Neji. When she was satisfied with them, she asked if they all were alright. No one was hurt so much that it needed her attention, so she left to get on with her work. Iruka stroke Kakashi's brow and smiled softly at his sleeping lover. Tenten and Lee were still hovering over Neji, when the said Hyuuga decided to wake up. He groaned and opened his eyes.

"Neji!" Tenten said, relieved. "How are you feeling?"

"My back hurts", the Hyuuga responded.

Lee took a gentle hold and turned Neji to his side and said:

"How's it now?"

"Better."

Tenten sat behind Neji, and made a calming circle over his back with her hand, as she had seen Gai do whenever Neji was upset or hurt. The Hyuuga relaxed into his new position and closed his eyes again.

"Lee?" he said quietly.

"Yeah?" he heard the black-haired teen answer.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you back then", Neji said and burrowed his head in the pillow.

Lee looked at Neji for a while and then realized what he was talking about. Back in the Hokage Tower, when Neji had told him to let go.

"Idiot", Lee mumbled and Neji opened his eyes. "You were in so much pain you didn't realize what you were saying, so don't worry about it."

"O… Okay."

Tenten looked confused at them both, but lee juts shook his head. She nodded and continued to rub circles on Neji's back. Naruto looked on as Gaara leaned against the wall with him. Iruka looked at them and then turned his eyes to Kakashi. The Copy-nin was staring at him, and the brunette almost let out a shriek. He quickly clamped his hands over his mouth and his next word came out muffled:

"Kakashi?!"

Naruto whipped his head and saw the man indeed awake. Gaara smiled softly and released the blonde, who ran up to the bed and said:

"Kaka-san?"

"Hi Naruto", the Copy-nin answered. "You look pale, Iruka, what's wrong?"

"It's you!" Iruka said, furious. "Tsunade-sama said you overused Sharingan!"

"Either that, or Kankuro would die", Kakashi said. "Rather have him alive, y'know."

Iruka nodded and the Copy-nin began to rise.

"No you won't!" Iruka scolded. "Lie down this instant!"

Kakashi whined but complied. He turned his head to Naruto and said:

"Well, if I'm not allowed to get up you are the one who have to hug me, so come here!"

The blonde laughed but inched closer and carefully wrapped his arms around the Copy-nin. Kakashi got up one arm around Naruto's back and smiled softly underneath his mask. Sasuke carefully made his way to them and Iruka laid an arm on the Uchiha's shoulders. Sasuke let himself lean into Iruka's side and he sighed softly. For some reason, the atmosphere in the room made him feel like he had come home from a very long journey.

-

Shikamaru was sitting in his hospital bed and was looking out the window. His chest was bandaged but he hardly felt it. He kept his eyes glued on the sunset. Chouji laid in the bed next to him, pale but alive. A slight movement from the other boy made Shikamaru blink and look over to him. The Akimichi boy moved and opened his eyes.

"Yo", the Nara said.

"Shika? You okay now?"

"Yeah, I'm okay", Shikamaru said. "Sasuke and Kiba saved my ass."

"They did?" Chouji said and moved his head to look at the Nara boy, who once more looked at the sunset.

"Yeah, but they said I kinda helped them. I tried to explain to them what had happened and Sasuke gripped my suspicions very fast. I think Shino was exposed to the same poison."

"Is he alright?"

Shikamaru mutely nodded.

"What happened really?" Chouji said. "Is it over?"

"Yeah", Shikamaru whispered. "It's over now."

-

Hinata sat by her father in the hall of the hospital, Shibi and Shino just next to them. Shino was pale and kept falling asleep. Finally Shibi did not try to wake up his son; instead he just let the teen sleep. Kiba was with his mother and sister just around the corner; they could hear Akamaru's exited barking and Tsume's rough voice kept telling the dog to calm down. Occasionally they could hear Kiba.

The Hyuuga heir looked at Shino and then out the window. The sun was setting and the sky was colored blood red and hot orange. The colours shifted into a blur of motion in front of her eyes and she smiled. The end of a horrible day, but also the start of a better beginning.

-

Sakura was with Ino outside the hospital, escorting hurt people from the caves to the hospital together with Kurenai, Asuma and Gai. The pink-haired girl wiped her brow and looked up at the sky. The day was turning to evening and night, so they needed to hurry. They had started escorting people only ten minutes ago, so it would take a while. Ino carefully poked her and said:

"You okay?"

"Yeah", Sakura said. "Just thought we need to be fast if we want the villagers into the hospital before dark."

"Don't worry", the Yamanaka girl said, "we'll manage."

"Yeah", Sakura said and nodded absently. "I guess so."

"You're spacing out on me", Ino whined. "Worried about your team?"

"They're alright", the pink-haired teen said. "I met them not too long ago; they're fine. I'm just tired that's all."

"Then let's hurry up."

Sakura nodded and continued.

-

The night fell, and the village was silent. The puppets had been removed and burned together with the bodies of the Akatsuki. Shinobis were scouting the village, but otherwise little movement was made inside Konoha.

The hospital was the only building with lights on. Medic-nins were still working, and so was the Godaime. She made her check on each room before leaving for her rest. She opened room 48 and stopped.

The room itself was full with people. It normally held 6 people, but it was over ten people currently in it. Kisame was lying next to the window on his side, with heavily bandaged neck and chest. The tall man's tense body had relaxed fully in a most needed sleep. Itachi was sitting in a comfy chair Tsunade had brought him earlier right next to his partner. The Uchiha peered one black eye open to look at her; when no danger was registered, the eye slipped close again. Kankuro was lying in the middle bed, comfortable spooned against the younger Uchiha. The bed closest to the door on her left side was Neji and his team plus her pink-haired student. Or rather, Tenten, Lee and Sakura had fallen asleep with their heads and upper body resting on the bed. Neji's hand was still loosely held in Lee's left hand. Sakura had fallen asleep next to her boyfriend with her hair spilling onto the bed while Tenten was on the opposite side.

Tsunade let her eyes go to the other side of the room. Opposite of Kisame was Jiraiya and she smiled fondly at her ex-teammate. The bed next to him was Kakashi and Iruka. The brunette had the Copy-nin trapped close to his body, but it seemed like the grey-haired man had not put up much of a struggle for that. The bed to her right held Gaara and Naruto. The redhead and the blonde were embracing each other and Tsunade noticed something going back and forth between them, which shimmered with the moonlight. She carefully stepped closer and nearly gasped as she saw what it was.

Shimmering chakra, in blending gold and bleeding red that went in and out the two teens. Kyuubi and Shukaku. Sometimes the chakra collided, merged and then separated. The Godaime was fascinated by it when the red suddenly turned to blinding white. It was Naruto's chakra. She had heard Kisame tell about the colour of the blonde's chakra. She carefully took up a blanket and gently laid it upon them both, made sure to tuck them in before smiling and leaving the room.

-

Shikaku looked up from his shougi-board to see Chouza enter the room. The Akimichi looked at him and said:

"Playing shougi in the middle of the night?"

"Can't sleep", the Nara replied. "Shougi makes me relax."

Chouza looked over to the opposite side of the room, where Shikamaru and Chouji slept. The Nara tossed around on the bed, so Chouza said:

"Why don't you try calming your son down?"

"Well, last time his reflexes acted instead of his brain. Man, that blow hurt", Shikaku muttered. "Watch out; he's got a good right-hand."

Chouza shook his head and sat down. Chouji turned over and opened his eyes.

"It's still night, so go back to sleep", the Akimichi head said.

"Shika…" the teen said. "He's having a nightmare."

"Shikaku says he reacts violently if you try to wake him."

Chouji ignored what his father said and sat up. The Nara and Akimichi heads looked on, puzzled. Chouji made his way to Shikamaru's bed and stopped right next to it. Carefully he extended his hand, and laid it on the Nara boy's forehead. Shikamaru stopped tossing in an instant. He took a few deep breaths and opened his eyes.

"Just a dream", Chouji said. "It's alright, go back to sleep."

Shikamaru nodded and closed his eyes again. The Akimichi boy nodded to himself and returned to his bed, leaving the two adults to stare at him. Shikaku said after a while:

"Damn, your son must have some special trick when it comes to Shikamaru."

"I begin to suspect that as well", Chouza answered.

-

Ino sat on her bed, absently twirling a lonely flower she had found on the street. It was in the middle of the night, yet she felt no sleep come to her. She looked out at the moon and sat there staring at it, lost in thoughts, until dawn began to come.

-

Kiba and Hinata found themselves once more cocooning their teammate in his bed. Shino's head was tucked under Kiba's chin as before and Hinata had her head where Shino's neck met shoulder. Shibi looked at them for a long time before silently exiting the room and gently closing the door behind him.

-

Asuma, Kurenai, Gai, Ibiki, Anko and Genma were sitting on the Godaime's head in silence. Sleep had abandoned them all at the moment. They all were lost in thoughts in a comfortable presence as they either watched the village or the stars.

-

One week later, Valentine's Day: (A/N Warning, extremely sweet and fluffy last part; finally some innocent love in this story, yay)

The sun was shining and the streets were busy. Love-struck girls ran around, talking who they wanted a flower from and so on. Sakura walked hand in hand with Lee towards the hospital as they were going to collect Neji. The Hyuuga was to be released later on the day and they had volunteered to help him home. They stepped inside in the cool air of the hospital and took the route to room 48, where he and Kisame were staying. The ex-Akatsuki was not yet to be released, as his neck-injury had caused him some troubles with his speaking abilities. Lee knocked on the door and entered. Neji looked up from the book he was reading and smiled at them.

"If it isn't the love-birds", he teased.

"Neji!"

"Neji-san!"

He laughed at the blushing faces and put away the book. Kisame looked on as the Hyuuga continued to tease them with a small smile. Sakura looked at him and said:

"How are you today Kisame-san?"

The fish-man shrugged, which meant "No change since yesterday" and the pink-haired felt a little sorry for him. Three days ago Kisame had stopped talking since it hurt too much.

Neji was ready in a few minutes and he waved goodbye to the tall man before they left. Kisame made a small wave back to the Hyuuga before returning to stare out the window. They closed the door and Neji said:

"I think he's getting depressed."

"I would too", Lee said, "sitting in a room not able to talk because of the pain in a village you hardly know anyone."

Neji nodded and they went out into the sunshine.

-

Shino was sitting on a bridge with his feet in the water. Kiba plopped down to him and gruffly gave him something. Shino turned the flower in his hand and said:

"An ivy?"

"Ino said it meant friendship", Kiba said. "Mom said I should've gotten you a luck flower, since troubles seems to find you."

Shino snorted and looked at the flower again.

"Thanks", he said a while later.

"Don't mention it", Kiba replied.

They sat in silence for a while. Then Kiba said:

"How about we go and find Hinata? She said something about homemade chocolate."

"You always think with your stomach don't you?"

"Not always!"

Kiba huffed and raced off. Shino took on his sandals and carefully picked up his flower. He smiled at it and gently held it in his hand as Kiba yelled at him to move faster. He took his time to walk over to the Inuzuka, knowing the teen would wait forever if he had to. Shino looked at Kiba and thought:

'_Friendship.__ I like that word.'_

-

Kankuro was sitting on the porch at Kakashi's and Iruka's house. His ankles had healed, and so had his shoulder with a bit of Tsunade's healing powers but his arm was still not entirely healed as the Godaime had not wanted to risk to damage it more by putting more of her chakra in his body.

Suddenly a pair of hands was over his eyes but Kankuro already knew who it was.

"Cut it out Sasuke", he said.

"Boring", he heard the younger Uchiha say before the hands slipped away. "I think I need a new shampoo so you won't recognize me."

The puppeteer looked at the pouting teen and laughed. Sasuke looked at him and said:

"Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"I got a surprise for you."

Kankuro looked slightly taken back but complied. Sasuke shifted around a bit and after a while he said:

"Okay, open them now."

Kankuro did and stared. In his uninjured hand laid one single beautiful red tulip.

"For me?" he asked the Uchiha.

"Yeah", Sasuke said. "I got Ino to order it for me. A red tulip means declaration of love."

Kankuro looked at his lover for a long time. Then he inched closer and pressed his lips to the corner of Sasuke's mouth.

"Thank you", he breathed against the Uchiha's lips.

The Sharingan-user slipped one hand into soft hair and said "You're welcome" before kissing him fully.

-

"Where are you taking me?" Naruto said.

Gaara only smiled secretly and continued to drag his blonde further into the forest. After a while he stopped and said:

"I want you to close your eyes."

Naruto looked confused but let his eyes slid close. Gaara gently led Naruto through the last piece of forest and then they reached the place Gaara had found recently.

"Okay", he said. "Take a look."

The blonde opened his eyes and took a deep breath. They were standing in the outskirts of a meadow filled with flowers. Butterflies were everywhere and the wind was blowing softly, making the flowers sway like in a dance.

Naruto took a few steps and looked around. Gaara stayed behind, just loving the expression on Naruto's face.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"Like it?" Naruto whispered. "I love it."

The redhead walked up and said:

"Got another surprise."

Naruto turned around and Gaara held out a white rose. While Naruto did not know much of the language of flowers, Gaara had made some research to Ino's pleasure and had ordered it for today. The blonde took the rose and Gaara said:

"Ino-san said to me that every flower means something, and I thought over what I wanted my flower to mean. I decided on that one."

"What does it mean?"

"Eternal love."

The kitsune child looked at Gaara in surprise with big eyes, and the redhead looked down on his feet. Naruto then tackled Gaara to the ground, smothered him with kisses and a chanting of "Thank you!" between each kiss. Gaara pushed so that Naruto ended up on the bottom and smiled softly down at the blonde. The smaller teen's eyes started to leak in red and Gaara's got a golden edge on them. Kyuubi and Shukaku kissed each other, although not in their own bodies, for the first time in many years in the middle of a meadow full with flowers.

-

As the day progressed, girls got gifts and guys bragged about who they got a kiss from. Team 10 was content to sit under their favourite tree with a deck of cards and a lunch made by Chouji's mother.

Team 8 ate lunch together and then hanged out for the rest of the day; Kiba ate almost all the chocolate Hinata had made for them. Shino had only shook his head with the ivy safely in his pocket.

Team Gai, plus Sakura, had eaten lunch at a restaurant before going separate ways. Lee had gone with Sakura, and Tenten and Neji parted after they had shared an ice-cream they had been offered. Neji had met team 8 and was invited to spend his day with them. Tenten had gone home to spend some time with her parents.

Iruka and Kakashi ate lunch with some other shinobis; a few of them were Gai, Kurenai, Asuma and Genma, before going home to a peaceful afternoon.

Even Tsunade and Jiraiya relaxed that day and took a drink on Yondaime's head with some small-talk and food.

But there was one who ignored all this.

Kisame was never used to all that and preferred to ignore it all. He laid on his side, away from the window and was at that moment asleep. The window opened from the outside and someone slipped in. Itachi looked at his partner for a while and then put something on the bedside table before leaping out again.

The fish-man woke up not long after that and noticed a flower with a note. Kisame sat up, rubbed his eyes and took the note. He saw the flower was an iris and was puzzled. He opened the piece of paper and read:

'_Iris means many things, Kisame, but in this case it means hope. Not hope for today but hope for the future. There is hope for you in the future, even though you don't want to believe it. And if you still feel there is no hope, I will give you hope._

_-__ Itachi _

_P.S I'm on the hospital roof. Nice view; you should join me.'_

Kisame looked at the note for a long time. Then he looked at the open window and thought for a while. He picked up the iris and rose from the bed. He cracked his body and slowly made his way to the roof. He opened the door and looked around. Itachi was sitting not too far away, with legs dangling over the edge. The Uchiha said without turning around:

"Decided to come?"

"Yeah", the man rasped and then coughed.

"If it hurts, don't speak", Itachi said and turned around. "Come and join me."

Kisame made his way to the smaller man and painfully sat down. Itachi noticed the iris in the fish-man's hand and said:

"You still have hope?"

Kisame did not answer for a long time. Then, just as Itachi had lost hope that he would answer, he heard his partner's raspy voice said:

"I always had hope. I just forgot about it for a while."

Itachi grinned.

-

It was near midnight and Iruka stood outside on the porch with a cup of tea. Kakashi came up from behind and said:

"It's been a strange year."

"You can say that", Iruka chuckled. "Lots of troubles too."

"Yeah. Regret any of it?"

"No", the brunette said. "Actually, thanks to your team's foolishness to test something in Tsunade's office without her permission, was the start. If they hadn't, we wouldn't be living like this."

Kakashi rested his chin on Iruka's shoulder and said:

"I would never have noticed Naruto in that way I did in those few days he was turned to a child. He was too good in hiding the truth."

"What do you think will happen from now?"

"No idea", the Copy-nin said and grinned. "But I know it will be better than before."

Iruka nodded. One year ago, he would never imagine he would be in love with Hatake Kakashi. One year ago, he would never consider anyone else than Naruto his "child". Now he had six "children"; Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Gaara, Kankuro and Temari. One year ago he would never believe he would call Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame friends; now they were already a part of his family. All of this, all this happiness, because of one little thing that Kakashi discovered when he looked underneath the underneath.

-

On four different places around the village, laid for flowers.

_Ivy – friendship_

_Red tulip – declaration of love_

_White rose – eternal love_

_Iris – hope_

Together, these four flowers will shape the future of many people in Konoha. Ivy has done its deed and made many people friends, red tulip has given many people someone to love, white rose has shown that love is stronger than anything else, and iris has made sure that there will always be hope.

For Uzumaki Naruto, hope for someone to call friend and hope for someone to love was lost one year ago. Thanks to a small discovery, he now had friends, a home, parents, and someone who had given him eternal love. As he laid in the arms of Sabaku no Gaara, the feared Jinchuuriki of Suna, he could not help but think how stupid he had been to hide himself. Once he was discovered, everything had gone better with his life.

He now knew hope never dies out; it just tends to be forgotten sometimes.

**The End**

* * *

This is the end of my story, and I hope you liked it. I really loved to write this one, and felt encouraged to continue thanks to the reviews many wrote to me. I will hopefully soon continue with some other Naruto fics; otherwise I have other ones to write. I have started on many but I have to give some up. One Naruto fic I'm quite certain that I will write and post is a fic where Naruto as older, around 32, travels back to the past to make it all better. Sound cliché? I know, but I kinda like it. We'll see. Check on my profile if I have some other plans; I'll try update if anything changes.

Thanks once more and see you later,

Tiro


End file.
